Real life Tower Defense - Cat trap desings needed

[dkmech]

Now before you call RSPCA please read all of this

I have a cat flap which is used by my cat, see exhibit A - Rico:


Unfortunately there is a lot of other cats around, which I wouldn't normally mind but they all seem to be getting in through the cat flap and eating my cats dinner. Which wouldn't be a big deal if they didn't make such a mess of it. Rico is not a fan of collars so a magnetic key or IR cat-flap is not an option. We could go for face recognition but he has an evil (well, not really) twin in the area.

Now, despite his mean appearance in the above photo Rico is a lover and not a fighter, and is not able to defend his domain effectively. So what I need is a fairly humane yet effective cat boobie trap.

Something entirely automatic would be indiscriminate and would affect Rico as well, so i was thinking of something that I could trigger myself as I hear the cat flap flapping (meaning an intruder is legging it). The cat flap is in the door at the side of the house, so ideally I'd want something that turns the passageway by the side into a bit of a waterfall for a few seconds at a press of a button. All thats needed now is to design such a contraption.

So help Rico and post your ideas.

[TheAnimus]

make him learn to wear a collar.

Put an RFiD in him

[santa claus]

Have you considered a psychological assessment for Rico? He's quite scary you know

[dkmech]

He ate his shrink, no one else volunteered so far. Mwahahahahaha. He's just pissed of coz he's all wet

[impee]

How about a Retina Scanner at the door?

[TheAnimus]

http://www.microchipcatflaps.co.uk/buy.html

uses your cats RFID chip, assuming its tagged.

[Stringent]

I have a cat flap which is used by my cat, see exhibit A - Rico:

That is crying out for a LOLCat capshun.

[nvening]

i want a cat

[kalniel]

Excellent photo!

Best solution is simply to put down food at set times and then take it up again after 10 mins or whatever. He'll soon learn what the times are and get used to it, while the other cats will get bored of not finding food very quickly and give up.

[Stewart]

Is it a male cat? I've never known a male cat, even one that is a lover not a fighter, who would stand for other cats coming into his kitchen and eating his dinner.

Any male should be putting up some sort of show. Suggest you stop lining his basket with the Guardian, it's obviously making him into a middle class limpwrist of a cat.

A dog will sort the problem out, anyway. Once Rico is used to it, he will have nowt to fear (we have had dogs and cats living together side-by-side for years, after a while the cats, if anything, take charge) and the other neighbourhood cats wont come within a mile.

If a dog isn't on, suggest some sort of intricat (ha) system of tripwires, laser beams, and night vision turrets.

[dkmech]

http://www.microchipcatflaps.co.uk/buy.html

uses your cats RFID chip, assuming its tagged.

Oooh, thanks for this, didn't know they made those yet. He is tagged too. Shame about 125 quid mind.

And maybe we should get Rico into the lolcats. I'll start a thread for captions suggestions.

[Virtual Monkey]

Get a water pistol and just spray the other cats with it, that'll learn 'em.

[jamin]

What about shutting the cat (with special collar) out and putting this baby outside:

http://www.nekofeeder.com/WhatdoesNe...oFeeder_deluxe

[dkmech]

Water pistol is not gonna work (was considering it) as the cats leg it as soon as they hear me move. So I can only occasionally see them outside through the cat flap (which is why the trap would be outside and I would set it off once I heard the flap go - like a claymore ). The nekoffeder type systems are out coz I don't wanna force him to wear a collar - it's also nicer to stroke him without a collar getting in the way.

I think I am going to get back to rationing his food so that they have no reason to come in, and may get a scanner flap later if they fall in price - saw them for £100 on a few other sides, so many thanks for that suggestion.

[MadduckUK]

why is it slightly naked

[Haiku32]

why is it slightly naked

Cats don't wear clothes.