Some cats are what you might call indoor cats, happy to stretch out in the lap of indoor luxury and never bother themselves with the inclement outdoors again. Others however are fully in touch with their Inner Cat, and venture forth frequently in search of whatever prey they can find.
[Rkramer] has a cat of this nature,sadly one with a propensity for returning with live prey. To avoid this problem a solution is called for, and it comes in the shape of the Cat Valve, an automated cat door which enforces a buffer zone in their cellar to prevent unwanted gifts.
It’s a simple enough idea, when an IR sensor connected to a Raspberry Pi 4 detects the cat heading out into the world through the exterior cat flap, the computer fires up a motor connected to a lead screw which closes the flap between buffer zone and house. The cat then has the safety of the buffer zone, but can’t bring the prey fully inside.
If you’re a cat lover you’ll forgive them anything, but we have to admit to being on [Rkramer]’s side with this one. A useful way to keep the prey at bay is something we could have used a few times in the past, too. This project is part of the 2025 Pet Hacks contest. Done something similar for your cat? Why not make it an entry!
The best one here used open CV or some sorts and profiled the cat excluding other cats, animals, and the home cat with prey in mouth. Kudos for simple exit and separate enter to quarantine. Could be a problem with screw down on a tail. Could two separate one way flaps do this without any advanced tech?
One of the best earliest documented-on-the-internet hacks.
https://web.archive.org/web/20020204103229/www.quantumpicture.com/Flo_Control/flo_control.htm
Ah, fab, that’s the one I was trying to remember, thank you
Good solution. We’ve seen other clever ones too.
Nothing worse than a cat bringing in a half dead rat that hides in your old bedroom slippers until it succumbs. And then finding it days later.
What about a cat that keeps meowing and scratching at one particular closet, which makes your gf curious about what is there. Unfortunately she discovers entire set of tools used for arse play (for those times when I’m lonely and feeling kinky.) Welp there goes my plan to become married, it’s back to chasing rosebuds.
spits coffee all over laptop
Sir, this is a Wendy’s
I seem to remember a previous solution here that used a camera and image processing to decide if the cat was holding something in its mouth before unlocking the cat flap.
Better solution still: when unsupervised, keep your non-native predator pet inside, where it won’t predate on native wildlife.
Real solution is to stop letting your cat outside
Or give them free access to an enclosure outside. The get fresh air and sun, but it keeps them separate from the native fauna
Exactly!