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Linux-Based Cat Feeder

Posted by timothy on from the happy-valentine's-day dept.

prostoalex writes "Chris McAvoy is a UNIX administrator and an owner of two cats. So as a natural application of his work to his hobby he built this Linux-based cat feeder. A little hardware hacking and Python scripting can get you a device that would automatically disperse a yummy fish at specified intervals."

20 of 420 comments (clear)

  1. I want chicken, I want liver... by ShatteredX · · Score: 5, Funny

    Linux, Linux, please deliver~

  2. Feeding time by mesach · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought that feeding time was the only time that most cats paid any attention to you. Why on earth anyone would want to take that away I will never know.

    --
    moo.
    1. Re:Feeding time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I got the BSD version. My cat started acting weird so I took it to the vet. He said it's dying...

    2. Re:Feeding time by lrucker · · Score: 5, Funny

      There's also book-reading time. I suspect the real reason ebooks didn't take off was that it's harder to hold an ebook in a position where the cat doesn't block it.

    3. Re:Feeding time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Petcraft confirms it.

  3. cat food /dev/cat by delire · · Score: 5, Funny


    there, i said it

  4. OK, so my only question is... by oGMo · · Score: 5, Funny

    What does it feed the cats to?

    --

    Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage

    1. Re:OK, so my only question is... by AndroidCat · · Score: 5, Funny

      The bit at the top said something about a python! (The FA is /.'ed and there's a brandwidth seller's ad right under that. Hmm.)

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  5. Litter box by lsmeg · · Score: 5, Funny

    So can you also set up a cron job to clean the litter box?

    --
    It's OK! I'm a limo driver!
  6. something that feeds off cats by pyrrho · · Score: 5, Funny

    and it runs linux!!!

    finally a solution to the feral cat problem! Open Source ROCKS!!!

    and I think my dog will love it... she doesn't seem that fond of cats.

    what? read the article? excuse me... I only read titles... I'm American! If you don't get the meaning in that title... that's your bad.

    anyway... cat eating robots... my god what will they think up next!?

    --

    -pyrrho

  7. Just another way.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ..to get more time with your computer and ignore the only other living thing(s) in your household?

  8. It could be... by angedinoir · · Score: 5, Funny

    the closest a linux geek ever gets to pussy.

  9. Food in tin cans by saddino · · Score: 5, Funny

    This reminds me of the old UNIX joke:


    $ cat "food in tin cans"
    cat: cannot open food in tin cans

    Of course, BSD's "cat: food in tin cans: No such file or directory" doesn't have quite the same effect.

  10. Re:Sounds like... by Asgard · · Score: 5, Funny
    Or from another TV series:


    Dispensing Machine: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal.
    Cat: Fish!
    Dispensing Machine: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal.
    Cat: Fish!
    [...]


  11. Dispersing by pbalzac · · Score: 5, Funny

    a device that would automatically disperse a yummy fish

    Over how wide an area?

  12. Red Dwarf says cat wants many fish! by fermion · · Score: 5, Funny
    Machine: Hello. How can I help you?
    Cat: Fish!
    M: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal.
    C: Fish!
    M: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal.
    C: Fish!
    M: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal.
    C: Fish!
    M: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal.
    C: Fish!
    M: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal.
    C: Fish!
    M: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal.
    C: I will!

    cats, like basement trapped boys, have little else to do than figure out how to hack the machine.

    --
    "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
  13. Mirrordot Mirror by superatrain · · Score: 5, Informative

    Mirrordot mirror

    --
    my karma ran over your dogma
  14. Peronsally, by robyannetta · · Score: 5, Funny
    Personally, I'd like to see one of those robotic self-cleaning litter boxes hacked with their own version of linux. Think of the possibilities!

    You can program it to a solenoid on the front door. If someone opens the door, the robotic scooper is automatically put in "turbo" mode, rakes and shoots a sandy shit at you at 50mph. Hacking. It's just not for coffee machines anymore.

    --
    - Just my $0.02, take with a grain of salt, your mileage may vary.
  15. Microsoft is coming out with this too... by PHPgawd · · Score: 5, Funny
    In order to stay current with all Linux features, Microsoft Feed (tm) will be bundled with the next major release of Windows.

    The early insider-only reviews contain the following highlights:

    • The feeder dispenses 70kg of food at a time no matter what size cat you have.
    • Users of the feeder must use Microsoft CatChow (tm) or an authorized, licensed, compatible cat food (MS-ALCCF). Non-Microsoft licensed cat foods "may" cause your cat to crash.
    • The feeder contains hidden, Microsoft-only APIs to connect to Microsoft LitterBox (tm) and Microsoft ScratchingPost (tm). These products will be available early next year.
    • To show Microsoft's committment to open standards, any kind of water may be used with the Feeder product, although Microsoft may "extend" the Water Standard anytime in the future in incompatible ways.
  16. Prepositional playfulness... by Colz+Grigor · · Score: 5, Funny
    I've heard of feeding cats to pythons, but this is definitely the first time I've read about feeding cats with Python!

    ::Colz Grigor