Cat Bringing You Dead Animals as Gifts? Artificial Intelligence Will B

Published A Few Days Ago
ADVERTISEMENT

The use of artificial intelligence in the pet industry is slowly but surely gaining more ground: this AI-powered cat flap just proves it.

If you have a cat that’s free to go outdoors as he or she pleases, you’ve probably got a few gifts in return. And by gifts, I mean dead (or almost dead) critters your kitty has hunted down for you and oh so helpfully put right on your bed so you could find them once you wake up. It’s disturbing and disgusting, but hey- studies show that that means your cat considers you their family member, albeit an incompetent one. While the gory gift is a kind gesture in your cat’s eyes, it doesn’t mean you have to like it though.

Ben Hamm certainly didn’t like his cat, Metric, bringing his prey inside the house. That’s why he developed an AI-powered cat flap that blocked the thoughtful kitty whenever he tried to enter the house with a critter stuck between his jaws. He installed an Amazon Deeplink camera above the cat door and trained the artificial intelligence with pictures of his cats with and without dead animals in tow. The algorithm is based on 3 steps: checking if the cat is going in or out, checking to see if the cat is in the frame, and lastly, checking to see if there are any critters in his mouth. Hamm had to feed over 23,000 images to the AI for it to start detecting his pet trying to sneak in dead animals.

Once the artificial intelligence was able to discern his kitty ‘coming in for a snack vs coming in with a snack’, the rest was easy. He programmed the kitty flap to stay locked for 15 minutes once the gory gift was detected, send him a picture of the deed (just in case) and automatically donate a small sum to Audubon Society, a bird organization. (Metric seems to prefer bird prey.) In the case Metric was coming empty-mouthed, he could enter normally.

Needless to say, many cat pawrents would be thrilled about having this type of AI-powered pet door at their disposal, but this is still far from being a publicly available product. Until it hits the pet store shelves, though, my advice is just to have an indoors-only cat. The nastiest thing my indoors-only cats have gifted me with is hairball vomit- and I’d take vomit over a dead animal every time.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

You May Like

A Quick Guide to Fading Kitten Syndrome

If you''re working with young kittens, you''ll need to know about Fading Kitten Syndrome. Here''s what you need to know about KFS.
Irish Red and White Setter

Athletic, strong, intelligent, affectionate, energetic, and loving, the Irish Red and White Setter is great with children and other pets.
Adoptable Dog Of The Week – Maude

Meet Maude, our Adoptable Dog of the Week. Maude is an adult female English Bulldog from Decatur, Illinois. She’s already spayed, housetrained, purebre…
What You Don’t Know About Ringworm in Cats

Ringworm can pass from animals to humans, and make both extremely ill. Take the necessary precautions to ensure it stays away from your cat.
Ask the Animal Communicator: My Bearded Dragon Won't Snuggle With Me

Bearded dragons regularly top the lists of “most popular reptile pet.” What’s not to love? They look like tiny, well, dragons. They are notoriously clingy and c…
Top Hoppin’ Pet Fashion for Rabbits

If you want to squee, all you need is a bunny sporting an adorable outfit. But it''s not just giggles - welcome to the flourishing world of rabbit couture!
Plecostomus

The Plecostomus is a type of armored catfish that is found throughout the tropical regions of northeastern South America.
Bloodhound

The Bloodhound has a personality that is among the best in the world of dogs and makes for a loyal house pet, a friendly companion, and a great friend.
DIY No-Sew Pet Bed

Budget-friendly and easy to make, this DIY dog bed won''t cost you more than $15 and you can make it under and hour. Plus, your pet will absolutely love it!
Broholmer

Also known as a Danish Mastiff, the Broholmer is a large dog from Denmark. Despite its size and powerful build, this breed is a calm and good-tempered dog.
Adoptable Dog of the Week – Lori

Our Adoptable Dog of the Week is Lori, a 1.5 years old Great Pyrenees mix from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is spayed and vaccinated.
Smooth Softshell Turtle

Pet owners who would like to make a unique looking turtle a part of their family should consider the Smooth Softshell Turtle.
Minskin

The Minskin has very short legs, but they retain the same level of agility as any other active breed. The Minskin is good with children and other pets.
What’s The Difference Between Fleas and Ticks?

Sure, fleas and ticks are little pains in the butt, but did you know that there are differences between the two? Know what youre up against this spring.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Outgoing, playful, loving, and companionable dogs, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi makes a great family pet, as it plays wonderfully with children.