A clever cat flap called OnlyCat will stay shut if a cat has been outside and wants to return with prey in its mouth. The creator was tired of his cat always coming home with an injured or dead animal.
OnlyCat is due to hit the market next year. For now, there is only a prototype by the creator himself. He says he has been testing the device at home since last June. His cat Jinx regularly woke him up after taking prey and meowed to show it to his owner, Martin Rosinski. Rosinski then decided to equip his cat door with a camera and artificial intelligence, which can be used to determine whether a cat has something in its mouth. If it does, the hatch immediately locks. The cat's owner gets a notification on his phone with a video showing how the cat tried to get in.
Since installing the camera, Rosinski says he has received 42 videos of his Jinx trying to get in with prey. "I think two months ago he suddenly understood that he's not allowed inside with prey," he says. On top of the cat flap is an eInk screen that shows whether the cat is home or not. The screen also shows what time the cat got home. Rosinski wants to bring the smart cat flap to the market next year. The price and exact release date are not yet known.