Anyone got any ways to remotely detect the difference between cats and a raccoon on a deck and trigger an alarm?

I have a kitty food dish on the deck that gets cleaned out every night by a racoon or two and I have yet to get a jump on them this time to get any clear shots off with the 22. Shot something like four last year and now the new ones are starting early this year.

Sort of thinking about setting up a old RC drone camera to cover the deck and run that through my Wifi to my computers and hope I see one while it's there and not just leaving.

 

Webcam or IP cam, you can use a free program called iSpy.
It doesn't have cat or coon filter, but it does have programmable motion detection window which may help you filter coons by their behavior.
Ex. they sit up or stand up to eat sometimes. making them much taller than a cat; so maybe you place a motion detect window 8+" above the food dish.
...but then, cats always have their tails up in the air...

Maybe iSpy works with your drone cam

 

Anyone got any ways to remotely detect the difference between cats and a raccoon on a deck and trigger an alarm?

I have a kitty food dish on the deck that gets cleaned out every night by a racoon or two and I have yet to get a jump on them this time to get any clear shots off with the 22. Shot something like four last year and now the new ones are starting early this year.

Sort of thinking about setting up a old RC drone camera to cover the deck and run that through my Wifi to my computers and hope I see one while it's there and not just leaving.

I had trouble one time of feral cat taking some Chinese pigeons my son was raising, I used a live trap. Lock the cat up in a barn and set the bowl and trap. Also will provide a clean shot.

kv

Edit: I got it free from the animal shelter, in our area they do catch spade and release. In this case catch and eliminate.

 

a dog.

 

Anyone got any ways to remotely detect the difference between cats and a raccoon on a deck and trigger an alarm?

I think this would be really tough without involving a human. My grey tabby is pretty large and I can't tell you how many times a family member has opened the back deck door to let him in, only to discover they've opened the door to a raccoon. If your cats are dramatically differently colored than a raccoon, you might be able to pick up on that but I think anything else would be tough. If you could have raccoon facial recognition, that would work, but I can't imagine how you'd do that unless you're already a coder.

We separate our cats from the raccoons by time-of-day. The cats have a cat door in the basement near their food area. We close that door for the night every evening when the cats get fed and reopen it in the morning. The raccoons never come in that door before sunset or after sunrise.

If we forget to get that cat door closed soon enough in the evening, we've had some 'events'. I've had to run around the basement with a ski pole, shooing out a whole family of 'coons. The babies are cute, but incredibly stupid. It's hard to herd them out an open door.

The one episode that really comes to mind is the time a 'coon came up two stories and parked itself on my daughter's desk, next to an open window. I was out of town and my wife was also not on hand. My hysterical kids called me in the middle of a business dinner. I explained that there wasn't much I could do from 400 miles away. The 'coon eventually went out the window, taking the screen with it. The kids will never forget it.

 

I'll probably just use this as an excuse to set up a camera and watch. I'm usually up later in the evening so if I have a way to see things out there without my being seen I can get the sneak on them.

Three of the cats are large long hair tiger striped tabbies which look and act a lot like a racoon so direct visual confirmation of who is who is needed with them around. Kind of think one of them invites the coons and anything else he can make friends with over for supper every chance he gets being it's rare to shoot a coon off the deck and not have him within 5 feet or less (often times sharing the food dish even).

In 3 years I have shot at least 10 coons and he's been so close every time that when I popped two last fall he didn't even jump and run. Took one on the deck while he was sharing the food dish and never got anything but a passing glance to see why his new buddy started flopping around then laid down dead.

 

I'll probably just use this as an excuse to set up a camera and watch. I'm usually up later in the evening so if I have a way to see things out there without my being seen I can get the sneak on them.

Three of the cats are large long hair tiger striped tabbies which look and act a lot like a racoon so direct visual confirmation of who is who is needed with them around. Kind of think one of them invites the coons and anything else he can make friends with over for supper every chance he gets being it's rare to shoot a coon off the deck and not have him within 5 feet or less (often times sharing the food dish even).

In 3 years I have shot at least 10 coons and he's been so close every time that when I popped two last fall he didn't even jump and run. Took one on the deck while he was sharing the food dish and never got anything but a passing glance to see why his new buddy started flopping around then laid down dead.

I call setting a dish out an letting the cats feed is called free ranging, later in my Dogs life I had to start feeding in the morning and late afternoon, you could setup a program and put motion sensors and daytime, nighttime sensors and auto door on a box with the container inside. Project time.....

 

Yea, my cats are free range indoor/outdoor that come and go as they please rather like me.

They have food dishes inside and out as well yet seem to think the outdoor dish is better so I keep food in it. Plus it keeps the coons from coming in through the kitty door to get to the inside food dish.

 

Plus it keeps the coons from coming in through the kitty door to get to the inside food dish.

Just what I was thinking, but I wouldn't set any food out at night inside. When your eating just pick up the dish at night, but if your out of town thats another story

I think you could do one without code, analog personally I would incorporate a cheap dusk and dawn light and divert the power to a control box, but I'm sure you would know better how to accomplish that than me.

kv

Edit: If out of town we'll have to come up with a different idea. Maybe prox sensors?

Edit: But, then like you said one of the Cats will invite and eat from the same bowl.

 

I know you won't like my opinion, but you've caused your own problem.
"I set out free food 24/7 and the local denizens have figured it out."
You need stupider raccoons or smarter people, and I don't think the raccoons are going to inbreed until they are so stupid they can't find your cat buffet.

My puppies ate once a day, then fell into a food coma. Very cute. I have photos.
If puppies can eat once a day, why can't cats go on a "daylight only" feeding schedule?
Honestly. You sound like, "Hi. I'm too lazy to take the food bowls in at night and close the cat flap. Please give me hi-tech to stop the inevitable results of my behavior." You caused it. You can fix it.

Maybe you won't be so bored after the spring thaw.

 

Could you fit your cat with a RFID or similar active collar, so that it can be remotely distinguished from your unwanted 'coons?

 

Could you fit your cat with a RFID or similar active collar, so that it can be remotely distinguished from your unwanted 'coons?

That's an idea. Make a tunnel to get to the food. If a non-tagged critter is in the tunnel, drop the doors.

 

Honestly. You sound like, "Hi. I'm too lazy to take the food bowls in at night and close the cat flap. Please give me hi-tech to stop the inevitable results of my behavior." You caused it. You can fix it.

I admit I've been negatively influenced by some of the common lazy/low wit posts and posters who come through here.

So, 'do you have an app for this' or not?

 

So, 'do you have an app for this' or not?

It depends. Do your cats have thumbs?

 

Edit: If out of town we'll have to come up with a different idea. Maybe prox sensors?

I'm way out of town and the deck is lit all night long.

Mostly I just wanted to see if anyone had any practical solutions they have came up over the years for detecting unwanted animals with I was not already aware of beyond just sit in a chair with the 22 and wait until I can shoot them through the kitchen screen door.

 

It depends. Do your cats have thumbs?

Not yet. Genetic modification is not my strong point.

Mostly I just didn't feel like sitting up and waiting like I usually do.

That and my screen door is getting full of 22 holes at this point and I have been told I can't just mount a gun on a three axis surveillance camera servo system and fire it via remote control or I will go to jail.

 

I still like the RFID with a tunnel trap. Just don't activate it when you're out of town.
You will eventually catch up with the local population of raccoons even if you miss a week here and there.
I only had to whack about 5 'possums and that problem was over for several years.

 

Reminds me of this I saw a few years ago..
If cat only = door opens
If cat + mouse in mouth = door locked..

https://joakimsoderberg.github.io/catcierge/

 

Reminds me of this I saw a few years ago..
If cat only = door opens
If cat + mouse in mouth = door locked..

https://joakimsoderberg.github.io/catcierge/

That is awesome.
A.H.W.

 

Reminds me of this I saw a few years ago..
If cat only = door opens
If cat + mouse in mouth = door locked..

https://joakimsoderberg.github.io/catcierge/

Wow, that is some insane efforts but I totally understand. I've hauled out quite a zoo over the years. My cats are keen to make the house their private game reserve, so they practice catch-and-release. I've learned that the chipmunks are easier to chase out an open door than to re-catch and carry out.