In This Aussie’s Back Yard, No Cat Is Safe From An Automated Soaking!

Some of us here at Hackaday are cat lovers, but we also understand that a plethora of unwanted cats using a suburban back garden can be bothersome, and a few years ago we featured a project from Aussie YouTuber [Craig Turner], in which he created a motion-detecting water spray for use as a relatively harmless cat repellent. Now he’s back with an updated version which is a little slicker and easier to make.

At its heart is the same PIR-turns-on-water operation, but this time there is a solenoid valve and purpose-built nozzle instead of a car central locking actuator and a lawn sprayer. Doing the electronic work is an off-the-shelf PIR module, so there is no  longer any need to hack a security PIR detector. Add in some pipe sections and PTFE tape with a bit of hot glue, and the result is a far more professional and streamlined device. The video gives a full run-down on construction, though we notice he neglected to emphasise the polarity of his protection diode so keep an eye out if you follow his example.

So if the thought of a continuous supply of free feline company courtesy of your neighbours is not for you then now you are equipped to send them packing. The latest video incarnation of the project is below the break, but if you are in search of the original then you can go back to our coverage at the time.

30 thoughts on “In This Aussie’s Back Yard, No Cat Is Safe From An Automated Soaking!

    1. Cats are mobile unshielded biological reactors, eating any animals that can’t escape and processing them into biohazardous waste, deliberately placed to be spread by human foots and hands. Repelling is the mildest option from the range available to us. Cats and their waste make me ill, so eleimination is the only option.

    2. Obvious troll, but as an owner of two cats, we have a need to repell invaders, especially one bengal which seems to want to hunt and kill anything moving from flies to our cats.
      I saw the little bastard sneaking up on one of ours the other day and threw my keys at it but they chinked mid air and alerted it.

      I’m going to buy a catapult
      1) it has more range
      2) its got cat in the name

      So yeah, I like cats, but mainly just my two. The rest are pests

    1. yea cats are capable of hacking things too. there are a number of cat free zones in the house that sometimes have cats in there because they found a way in. they either use social engineering to get the humans to let them in, or they do brute force hacks by scratching their way through the drywall.

      1. That’s what I was looking for too. The raccoons have created a nightclub on my Grandma’s rear deck where they party all night, howling, tearing up her potted plants, and crapping everywhere.

  1. The components cannot be had for $15.

    The construction materials and methods are not durable and would not be effective for more than a few weeks in my enviroment; but ok if only for proof of concept project.

    Cheap PIR sensors have no long-term reliability. ToF sensors, in my experience, are more effective and provide for more versatile/programmable data. I have ‘profiles’ for deer, coyotes, and coons – which determine response method for the various water controllers and nozzles.

    1. Conferred with two colleagues who are an Aussie and a Kiwi. Conclusion is that he’s an Aussie. “Sweet as” is probably a New Zealand thing, but I guess they don’t regulate it’s usage 😏

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