I’m lucky enough to have two cats. The first I had since she left her mother, the second a couple months since she left her mother.

The first, named Mohkno started out as a hero. She used to eat half her food and leave the rest for the second cat, Shadoe.

However, feeling that Shadoe had gained enough weight and settled down, she began getting designs on Shadoe’s breakfast.

Shadoe is kinda useless, because she hears any sound and she runs away and so Mohkno has a free run at her food.

Yesterday I thought I’d finally fix it, because short of watching them eat, there has to be a better way

alias: Alert feeding problem
description: ""
trigger:
  - type: motion
    platform: device
    device_id: stairs_motion
    entity_id: ce1e3a9c8fdf74534d3fb0cbbd155f64
    domain: binary_sensor
condition:
  - type: is_occupied
    condition: device
    device_id: kitchen_presence
    entity_id: e28cd1385692e6d3044f87a813f7e238
    domain: binary_sensor
  - condition: time
    after: "09:00:00"
    before: "10:00:00"
    weekday:
      - mon
      - tue
      - wed
      - thu
      - fri
      - sat
      - sun
action:
  - service: notify.notify
    metadata: {}
    data:
      message: "Mohkno is trying to steal food again! "
mode: single

Needless to say, I caught Mohkno trying to sneak back downstairs four times to pilfer Shadoe’s breakfast. The funny thing is, every time I would get the notification, I would catch her sneaking downstairs while staring at the kitchen door, so she knows she’s misbehaving.

Anyway, it’s stupid, but thought I’d share.

  • @tburkhol
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    711 months ago

    This is exactly the kind of semi-ridiculous thing I like about home automations: the power to answer one’s most trivial curiosities.

    I’d probably add a logger, so I could follow the history of Mohkno’s food thievery, then try different techniques to discourage her. Have ha also play a recording of you saying ‘Mohkno, no!’ Some activity to distract her during the critical food-stealing window. Or go all-in and get those microchip-reading pet feeders.

      • @Landless2029
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        311 months ago

        Oh no… my brain just went haywire.

        Setup a edge device with tinyml in target area. Condig a infrared or thermal camera point at the target area. Config tinyML with the camera to recognize subject. Config squirt gun with water. Hooked up to 2 motors with tinyml for targeting.

        Calibrate X and Y positioning of squirter to match target area coordinates.

        Initiate negative reinforcement as needed…

  • @nezbyte
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    211 months ago

    What a nice automation. I have a cat that also gets spooked by any sound. Often times I have to bring breakfast to him because he gets spooked and will abandon his food to his sister.

    • @[email protected]OP
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      fedilink
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      2
      edit-2
      11 months ago

      Why do they just abandon the food? And it’s every day too!

      Huge hugs because you know my pain 😂