Bought a magnetic cat door for my Booger (Named him that because he reminded me of Booger from revenge of the nerds with his saggy stoned eyes)... Doesn't know how use it.. See Booger is "special" i think. Most of the time he walks around with his touch stuck straight out of his mouth. He sits in front of the tv and watches it for a good hour. He seen his shadow on the wall and it scared him so bad that he ran to my bed room and went under the pillows. I filled the tub up with water to give my dog bath and was amazed by the water running, he was slapping at it a fell in and he flipped out! From time to time he sits on the bath room sink and will stare at himself in the mirror... He's a really sweet and good cat.
Summer of last year i built a 12' x 12' enclosed cage that has a top and bottom. i Put soil over the bottom to cover the wire and sowed grass. i built a small cat jungle gym(?) with some resting perches. I built a bridge that fixed to the window and removed the screen. I open the window and out he goes. He loves going out there, and when i come back home most of the time he meets me at the door and runs and jumps on my desk and waits for me to open the window so he can go out and play.
So i bought a an expensive magnetic cat door and a piece of plywood. I painted the plywood to match the color of my home, and then installed the cat door into this piece of plywood. I put the peice of plywood in the window, and for the life of me he wont use it. I've tried everything to teach him to use a cat door. Watched videos. Asked on pet forums and nothing has worked.
Someone on one of these forums suggested installing a fully automatic pet door. I looked them up and they are super expensive! I got to thinking, and remembered that i had a arduino duemilanove i bought years ago for a project i seen on youtube.
What i'm wanting to do is take two pir sensors. Install one on the inside fixed to the plywood, and install the other pir sensor on the outside of the plywood. Using a motor and the arduino duemilanove. When booger jumps on my desk and walks behind my large monitor, the door will slide up and allowing him to go out, then it will shut after x amount of time.. When booger comes up the bridge, the door will open allowing him to come back in.
I already sent the cat door back, so i will have to make a door out 1/4 plexiglass on a rail that it will allow it to slide up.
I'm wanting to do something like this, but not as fancy obviously.
For the life of me i don't have a clue and i'm begging for help on this; from the coding to the part list. Heck i'll even but a newer arduino if i have too!.
It would really mean a lot to me and booger if someone can help us out. Thanks!
PIR sensors may not be very good at detecting a cat. I think most of them are looking for a larger human-like target. Also, what if a stray raccoon gets close? Gonna open the door for him? I think I would actually build a little pressure sensitive platform that sits near your door and weighs the cat. (Of course, Booger will have to learn to step on the scales. ) You might be able to avoid false alarms from other little neighborhood critters.
Jr, How would you suppose that the raccoon would get in the cage?
cjones, why do you need a latching cat door? Why not just try a flap?
shove old boogs through it a couple of times, open the flap from the inside and call him back in. He should get the idea eventually, just give him time and be patient.
123Splat:
Jr, How would you suppose that the raccoon would get in the cage?
cjones, why do you need a latching cat door? Why not just try a flap?
shove old boogs through it a couple of times, open the flap from the inside and call him back in. He should get the idea eventually, just give him time and be patient.
I tried that. I shoved him through several times put food and catnip on the other side. He's just too "special" I think. Lol. The door I just sent back was basically a flap that locks and unlocks with a key that is around his neck.
cjones636:
I tried that. I shoved him through several times put food and catnip on the other side. He's just too "special" I think. Lol. The door I just sent back was basically a flap that locks and unlocks with a key that is around his neck.
put some nice mackril on the other side.
and don't feed him in the morning.
he will driver himself crazy trying to find that fish and as cats, do, will nudge the wall with his head and try to rub it.
if the wall moves and the food is there, he will go eat.
then, put some inside and he will come in when he is hungry.
after a few times, he will figure it out.
also, it might help to have a clear door so he can see the other side.
my mother always said, kids and animals will not starve themselves.
if he is hungry enough, he WILL get to the food.
You could make a collar with IR leds on it and keep some IR recievers near the window such that when Booger comes the IR recievers will get triggered and door can be opened.
The problem is the battery for the collar and whether Booger will agree to wear a collar. My cat just hates anything on him.
since your outside enclosure is, well, enclosed,
you do not have any worry about wild animals.
put a sensor, could be a weight activated switch, a beam break, or any such thing.
when boogers comes near the door, his presence closes the switch and the door opens
if you lift the door and allow the door to float on the lift arm, it could never hurt him.
This is not a technical problem, it is a training problem.
It has been covered on various TV programs that I recall. I forget the exact psychology that was detailed, but it related to the cat's feelings of security. The flap must be transparent so that the cat can see what is on the other side.
Anyway, like all training, it is a matter of progression by steps. Shoving the cat through the door is not going to work on the cat any more than it would in training you to do something you did not fancy.
You start by having the flap held fully open. When the cat is used to freely going in and out, you make it a little more difficult by having the flap not quite open and having to squeeze through. Prop it so that as he does so, he is pushing the flap more fully open. Gradually make it more and more difficult until the flap is simply closed.
I think it depends on the cat. I have had cats that started out feral, but came in through the door looking for food and a safe environment, while other cats have taken months to figure it out. As Paul__B said, it needs to be done patiently, and gradually.
