#489: CatTimer

Worried about how to monitor the health of your domestic feline?

Today’s invention consists of a set of electronic scales, wired to a small computer. The scales are set on a chair or stool. On them is placed a cat feeder device (the kind that automatically delivers a cat’s meal at a set time).

The system is capable of detecting when the cat has arrived on the scales -and whether it leapt on gracefully or dragged its way up there.

It can also tell how long it took the cat to eat its food, after the lid opened (ie was the animal hungry or disinterested?) Over time, the cat can have its weight monitored (which might be used automatically to change the amount of food provided or activate an alarm indicating a health problem to the owner).