For many pet owners, the joy of having a cat is occasionally marred by their pet’s natural hunting instincts. Cats often bring home prey as gifts, which can be both unpleasant and unsanitary. To address this issue, prey detection cat flaps have been developed. These advanced devices use technology to prevent your cat from bringing prey into your home, ensuring a cleaner and more hygienic environment.
What Are Prey Detection Cat Flaps?
Prey detection cat flaps are specially designed pet doors equipped with advanced technology to detect when a cat is carrying prey. Using sensors, cameras, and AI, these flaps identify when your cat has something in its mouth and prevent it from entering the house. This innovative solution helps maintain a cleaner home and reduces the risk of disease transmission from captured animals.
AI Facial Recognition is at the heart of these revolutionary developments—meaning that soon your house tiger will no longer be able to bring in those ‘gifts’ that make you reel back in disgust!
The technology scans the cat’s face and identifies when they are carrying something in their mouth and will not unlock whilst they continue to hold it in their mouth.
The technology will send you a message to advise of the thwarted attempt to gain access and will rescan after each entry attempt and only unlock once the cat has relinquished their prey and is entering without anything in their mouth.
How Do They Work?
- Detection Mechanism: Prey detection cat flaps use various technologies, such as cameras, infrared sensors, and AI, to scan your cat as it approaches the flap.
- Identification: The system identifies whether the cat is carrying prey based on the shape or presence of an object in its mouth.
- Access Control: If prey is detected, the flap remains locked, preventing the cat from entering until it drops the prey. Some models also notify the owner via an app.
Popular Prey Detection Technology
- OnlyCat: This cat flap integrates with your pet’s microchip and uses an additional camera module to detect prey. It sends alerts to your smartphone if your cat attempts to bring in prey.
- ZeroMOUSE: A recent innovation, ZeroMOUSE attaches to existing microchip cat flaps and uses AI to scan your cat’s face, preventing entry if prey is detected. It is compatible with larger flaps, making it suitable for bigger cats. The ZeroMOUSE 2 launches late February 2025
Choosing the Right type of Prey Detection
OnlyCat is a prey detection cat flap modelled with the dimensions of the most popular cat flap on the market from SureFlap to allow an easy retrofit. It was the first cat flap to launch on a Kickstarter type of campaign on IndieGoGo and the development team has years of experience and research under their belts, making it a highly successful prey detection cat flap.
ZeroMOUSE is a small box that is installed at the entrance of your existing microchip flap installation towards the bottom of the flap. This is so the camera has the best vantage point to capture the face as the cat enters and scan for prey in their jaws. Can be integrated with a larger microchip cat flap – so even larger wily house tigers are not exempt from this pioneering technology!
AI technology is used, and the dedicated app assists to update the existing installation and configure it to a state-of-the-art prey detection cat flap without having to have a whole new installation.
This small device is not much larger than a credit card in width and length and less than 2cm high – this ensures that the device is not an obstruction to the cat when they use the cat flap.
Benefits of using Prey Detection Cat Flaps or Devices
- Hygiene and Cleanliness: Prevents your cat from bringing in dead or live prey, maintaining a cleaner home environment.
- 2. Health and Safety: Reduces the risk of disease transmission from rodents and other small animals.
- Peace of Mind: Provides pet owners with the assurance that their home will remain free of unwanted ‘gifts’ from their hunting cats.
- Technological Integration: All models offer app integration, providing real-time alerts and allowing you to monitor your cat’s activities remotely.
PetFlaps UK are proud to have partnered with both of these companies to offer the largest range of Prey Detection technology in the entire world!
All these companies have the opportunity to buy the product outright or pay for a monthly subscription for their services to update the technology – but this small charge is well worth the knowledge that you will not come home to a live animal running around your house or partially maimed mouse or decapitated bird in your home on your return!
ZeroMOUSE is a small box that is installed at the entrance of your existing microchip flap installation towards the bottom of the flap. This is so the camera has the best vantage point to capture the face as the cat enters and scan for prey in their jaws.
AI technology is used, and the dedicated app assists to update the existing installation and configure it to a state-of-the-art prey detection cat flap without having to have a whole new installation. This can be used with larger microchipped cat flaps so great if your cat is too large for an average sized microchip cat flap.
This small device is not much larger than a credit card in width and length and less than 2cm high – this ensures that the device is not an obstruction to the cat when they use the cat flap.
Prey detection cat flaps are a game-changer for pet owners, combining advanced technology with practical benefits to keep unwanted prey out of your home. By investing in a prey detection cat flap or device, you can ensure a cleaner, safer environment for you and your family, while still giving your cat the freedom to roam. Explore the various models available and choose the one that best fits your needs and preferences.
