How about RFID proximity tags on their collars and a series of feeders with automated doors? The RFID readers can have a range of a few 10's of cm and be located at the end of narrow bays or tubes so only one cat can reach it at a time. An additional beam interruption sensor may be used to avoid the door closing on the cats' necks if some reading failure happens with the RFID tags. Cheers, Isaac Em 02/01/2016 16:08, rossano gobbi escreveu: > Speaking of cats... what would you people do in this case? > > I've got 4 of them, let's call them A,B,C and D. Cat A must eat a special= food, let's call it "1". Cats B and C must eat another special food I'll c= all "2". While cat A's diet must be absolutely strict otherwise really bad = (for us living with him) things happen, cat B and C's diet can tolerate exc= eptions. Cat D could eat whatever he wants but we'd like him eating his nor= mal food "3", instead of the other two. Needless to say, everyone, except B= , likes better the food that isn't his.=20 > We usually do this procedure by hand, by feeding them only once or twice = a day and watching them, but doing the cat-police is getting more and more = annoying so I'd like to introduce some level of automation... > Any hint? :-)=20 > A late happy new year to all of you! > > Rossano > >> Il giorno 30-dic-2015, alle ore 05:17, Richard R. Pope ha scritto: >> >> Hello all, >> I was raised with cats. I have had cats in my life most of my 60=20 >> years. I am a cat person. Dogs are ok but they need a lot more care and= =20 >> love than cats do. If you are going to be gone for more than a few hours= =20 >> arrangements have to be made to care for your dogs. All that is required= =20 >> for cats is plenty of food, water, and reasonably clean cat boxes. Don't= =20 >> get me wrong in that there is nothing wrong with dogs. I just like cats= =20 >> more than dogs. >> I have two cats. Their personalities are quite different. It is=20 >> obvious that both of them love me but they show it in different ways.=20 >> The older female cat whose name is Spider is sitting beside me as I type= =20 >> this. The other one is probably sitting by the door to my bedroom. Her=20 >> name is Stripes. She is five years old and Spider is about 10 years old.= =20 >> I love both of these cats and I will mourn their passing as I have with= =20 >> many cats over the years. >> Stripes has all of her claws. If she becomes irritated she will=20 >> scratch you. If you continue to do what you are doing to irritate her=20 >> she will grab you with her claws and then bite you. The bites are always= =20 >> strong enough to make an impression but she doesn't break the skin.=20 >> Spider doesn't have any front claws. She always bites but not hard=20 >> enough to break the skin. I always warn my guests about what will happen= =20 >> if they irritate either cat. Stripes did let me really have it one day=20 >> when I accidentally terrified her. I still don't know what I did wrong.= =20 >> It has never happen again. >> Since they are not related they just tolerate each other. They will= =20 >> play together but there is never any closeness between either one of=20 >> them. A lot of times at night both of them will sleep with me. One cat=20 >> on one side of me with the other cat on the other side of me. That is as= =20 >> close as they will allow themselves to be to each other. Well that is=20 >> enough for now. >> Happy New Year and GOD Bless, >> rich! >> >>> On 12/28/2015 10:45 PM, Jesse Lackey wrote: >>> Very interesting. We have a cat that is a nipper; from SPCA, no idea o= f >>> history, pretty well behaved otherwise (female approx 4 years old). >>> Gloves with bad taste. Good idea! >>> >>> J >>> >>> James Cameron wrote: >>>> The past is less important than the present, with a cat. >>>> >>>> The biting behaviour usually isn't permanent unless the cat is given >>>> positive response. >>>> >>>> A pat is positive. Don't pat after a bite. >>>> >>>> Taste is positive. Human skin has a surface taste. Wear gloves with >>>> a bad taste, or add 9V source. >>>> >>>> Can't do much about occasional experimental bites though, unless >>>> you're willing to wean them off tasty food. ;-) >>>> >> --=20 >> http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive >> View/change your membership options at >> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .