if it was ultrasonic like i mentioned above then even if the dog came over while the cat was there it would scare the dog away because you can use a diffrent tone to scare a cat that a dog wont hear and a tone that will scare the dog that the cat wont hear
@Chris Shepherd: I assume that, in that case, the food tray (or lid) would close until the dog went away. I would expect that the range, especially if RFID were used, would be very small, meaning that the dog would need to be right by the cat to close the tray and that the cat would need to have been right by the food to open it in the first place. Simply putting the water (which I'm guessing could easily be a common source for all pets) a few feet away from any feeder would resolve this issue.
So what happens if the cat shows up to have a drink of water, activates the food open and then the dog comes over as well?
Which one would be open and wouldnt this defeat the purpose?
I like the idea, but I think it needs a bit of a revamp...
This just might be the one to produce! It is unbelievable how many pet stores there are and how they seem to continue doing well in a bad economy. Pet owners are very loyal to their pets and those with multiple pets would buy this product to help keep them happy. Good idea!!
I think I've managed to read through all of the comments, and I hope I haven't missed any that I inadvertently echo with some of my points - if I have "stolen" someone's idea(s), I apologize in advance. It's a late post-turkey evening.
First, I agree that RFID is the way to go and that the feeder should only remain open when one and only one (the "correct") pet is nearby. It shouldn't buzz, spray, or otherwise harm the animals. It should simply close.
Second, I do not think that a lid which opens up is the way to go - I think, instead, a tray that slides out would be easier to protect from pets. Think "CD tray" but with a taller front, or - better - just think "drawer". The idea is that the food bowl (which could be the one the owner prefers) is placed in the tray/drawer, which is usually closed. If, instead of a typical kitchen drawer where the drawer extends beyond the sides, this drawer is slightly recessed when closed, the pets would have nothing to grab at to open it.
The drawer would be removable (just like most kitchen ones are) for cleaning. The entire product could be made of stainless steel or plastic, depending on costs and interest.
If we adapt the drawer model, then a feeder could be placed on top or at least above it - there are a some high-end ones that are almost foolproof in keeping food safe and which can dispense food down a rain gutter section to prevent animals from getting at the food. We don't need to make a food dispenser. We don't need to sell one - we just need to make sure that one of the "good" ones could be used with our feeder. I'd recommend a standard top that just encloses the feeder and an "adapter" top which allows the feeder to dispense food into the dish directly.
Also, while batteries are nice, batteries are expensive if they're built in (rechargeable) and fail often if not. It would be fine by me if we used AC power to keep costs lower. Regardless, I think the default option should be to ensure the drawer opens if power fails.
To do so, I suggest we use the power to "wind" the drawer shut against some spring which tends to open it. Thus, it takes power to close but not to open, and we could be sure there'd be enough power to "unlatch" it simply by adding a couple of decent capacitors.
When more than one animal was near, the drawer would close with enough power to dissuade animals from eating but not enough to harm them.
I think if we go this route, we could produce a product at a cost not much higher than other expensive quirky items, and by allowing an adapter for good food dispensers, we allow owners to buy our product at a lower cost but make it part of a high end multi-pet system.
Good idea, but how do you account for pushy dominant pet A that will go after submissive pet B's food when the device is activated? If B runs away, fine - the cover will close once B is out of range. But by that time A may have wolfed down the feeder contents.
@Bobby: I like your idea of using the dishes that owners already have... I have a german shepherd and his bowls are quite large (12"). I'm not in the know enough to suggest if there are three or four typical bowl sizes that pet owners have, and we could make three or four SKU's for this product?
Great idea. The dishes need to be removable, and some people have sentimental attachments to current ones - maybe this should just be a garage that you put your own bowls into?
Comments
if it was ultrasonic like i mentioned above then even if the dog came over while the cat was there it would scare the dog away because you can use a diffrent tone to scare a cat that a dog wont hear and a tone that will scare the dog that the cat wont hear
@Chris Shepherd: I assume that, in that case, the food tray (or lid) would close until the dog went away. I would expect that the range, especially if RFID were used, would be very small, meaning that the dog would need to be right by the cat to close the tray and that the cat would need to have been right by the food to open it in the first place. Simply putting the water (which I'm guessing could easily be a common source for all pets) a few feet away from any feeder would resolve this issue.
So what happens if the cat shows up to have a drink of water, activates the food open and then the dog comes over as well?
Which one would be open and wouldnt this defeat the purpose?
I like the idea, but I think it needs a bit of a revamp...
This just might be the one to produce! It is unbelievable how many pet stores there are and how they seem to continue doing well in a bad economy. Pet owners are very loyal to their pets and those with multiple pets would buy this product to help keep them happy. Good idea!!
I think I've managed to read through all of the comments, and I hope I haven't missed any that I inadvertently echo with some of my points - if I have "stolen" someone's idea(s), I apologize in advance. It's a late post-turkey evening.
First, I agree that RFID is the way to go and that the feeder should only remain open when one and only one (the "correct") pet is nearby. It shouldn't buzz, spray, or otherwise harm the animals. It should simply close.
Second, I do not think that a lid which opens up is the way to go - I think, instead, a tray that slides out would be easier to protect from pets. Think "CD tray" but with a taller front, or - better - just think "drawer". The idea is that the food bowl (which could be the one the owner prefers) is placed in the tray/drawer, which is usually closed. If, instead of a typical kitchen drawer where the drawer extends beyond the sides, this drawer is slightly recessed when closed, the pets would have nothing to grab at to open it.
The drawer would be removable (just like most kitchen ones are) for cleaning. The entire product could be made of stainless steel or plastic, depending on costs and interest.
If we adapt the drawer model, then a feeder could be placed on top or at least above it - there are a some high-end ones that are almost foolproof in keeping food safe and which can dispense food down a rain gutter section to prevent animals from getting at the food. We don't need to make a food dispenser. We don't need to sell one - we just need to make sure that one of the "good" ones could be used with our feeder. I'd recommend a standard top that just encloses the feeder and an "adapter" top which allows the feeder to dispense food into the dish directly.
Also, while batteries are nice, batteries are expensive if they're built in (rechargeable) and fail often if not. It would be fine by me if we used AC power to keep costs lower. Regardless, I think the default option should be to ensure the drawer opens if power fails.
To do so, I suggest we use the power to "wind" the drawer shut against some spring which tends to open it. Thus, it takes power to close but not to open, and we could be sure there'd be enough power to "unlatch" it simply by adding a couple of decent capacitors.
When more than one animal was near, the drawer would close with enough power to dissuade animals from eating but not enough to harm them.
I think if we go this route, we could produce a product at a cost not much higher than other expensive quirky items, and by allowing an adapter for good food dispensers, we allow owners to buy our product at a lower cost but make it part of a high end multi-pet system.
Good idea, but how do you account for pushy dominant pet A that will go after submissive pet B's food when the device is activated? If B runs away, fine - the cover will close once B is out of range. But by that time A may have wolfed down the feeder contents.
@Bobby: I like your idea of using the dishes that owners already have... I have a german shepherd and his bowls are quite large (12"). I'm not in the know enough to suggest if there are three or four typical bowl sizes that pet owners have, and we could make three or four SKU's for this product?
Hey Bobby... I'm right here in the building just 7 items up. (the garage jab) ...Just kidding. ;)
Competitors have two extra votes to use. I've been interested because I have two Scottish Terriers, and one is 8 pounds overweight!
Best Wishes Rupert! I like your idea.
Great idea. The dishes need to be removable, and some people have sentimental attachments to current ones - maybe this should just be a garage that you put your own bowls into?
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