Ends
Cat Flap Decision Timer
A cat flap frame that records how long the cat took to decide.
€8,880
pledged of €12,000 goal
- Backers
- 210
- Funded
- 74%
- From
- €19
Backed by Oskar V., Freya N. and 208 others
Recently backed
- Oskar V. · Tallinn ·
- Freya N. · Aarhus ·
- Lotte B. · Münster ·
Story
Most cat flaps record nothing. This one records the interval between arrival and passage, in both directions, and shows it on a small display fitted to the indoor side. A decision that ends without the cat going through is recorded as such, not discarded.
The two beams
One infrared beam sits at the approach, the other at the flap itself. The frame times the interval between the two, in either direction, and logs it with the direction and the outcome. The frame fits standard 165 × 170 mm flap openings without modification to the door.
No passage
Not every approach ends in a crossing. When the cat breaks the approach beam and then withdraws without reaching the flap beam, the frame logs the interval up to the withdrawal and records the outcome as no passage. These are kept in the log alongside completed crossings, not removed from it.
The longest decision
The longest interval recorded in testing was 14 minutes 20 seconds, timed from the approach beam to the flap beam, and ended with the cat returning indoors rather than going out. The frame logged this as a completed passage in the indoor direction, which is technically correct.
Shipping
The frame ships worldwide. The decision log export is a digital Reward and ships nowhere, since a spreadsheet has no address to send it to.
| Beams | Two infrared beams, approach and flap |
|---|---|
| Frame size | 165 × 170 mm, standard flap opening |
| Display | Indoor side, elapsed time and outcome |
| Logged fields | Direction, elapsed time, outcome |
| Longest recorded decision | 14 minutes 20 seconds, in testing |
| Battery | 4 AA cells, 6 months |
Stretch goals
- €15,000A weekly summary of the slowest decisions, added to the export(not yet)
Rewards
Decision log export
€19
A monthly export of your cat's decision log, direction, elapsed time and outcome, as a spreadsheet.
- Digital, nothing ships
- Est. delivery Feb 2027
- 50 claimed
Frame
€39
One Decision Timer frame, fitted to a standard 165 × 170 mm flap opening, with the indoor display.
- Ships to Domestic, Europe, Rest of world
- Est. delivery Jan 2027
- 120 claimed
Frame and spare beam kit
€59
One frame plus a spare pair of infrared beams, for a household that wants a second flap covered later.
- Ships to Domestic, Europe, Rest of world
- Est. delivery Jan 2027
- 40 claimed
Add-ons
Add a Reward to your Cart first: Add-ons come with one.
- Spare infrared beam pair€9
Just support it
No Reward, only the satisfaction. With a Reward in your Cart, this adds to that Pledge as bonus support.
Updates
Shipping confirmed worldwide
Customs paperwork is filed for all three zones, so the frame will ship to every Backer at the rates on this page when the first batch leaves in December. The decision log export remains digital and ships nowhere.
On the 14-minute decision
Several backers have asked about the longest recorded decision, 14 minutes 20 seconds, ending in a return indoors. We have reviewed the log and confirmed the timing is correct. The frame recorded it as a completed passage in the indoor direction, which is technically what happened.
Past halfway
We passed halfway to the goal three days in. Thank you. The next stretch goal adds a weekly summary of the slowest decisions to the export.
Backers also backed
- FIG. 1 · TF-0028Unfunded
- Pledged
- €15,040
- Funded
- 94%
- Backers
- 192
- FIG. 1 · TF-0019Unfunded
- Pledged
- €8,000
- Funded
- 20%
- Backers
- 200
More from this category
- FIG. 1 · TF-0012Live
- Pledged
- €20,500
- Funded
- 204%
- Remaining
- FIG. 1 · TF-0008Live
- Pledged
- €17,700
- Funded
- 118%
- Remaining
- FIG. 1 · TF-0020Funded
- Pledged
- €16,740
- Funded
- 186%
- Backers
- 330
Comments
Does it work with a flap already fitted, or only a new one?
It replaces the existing frame, not the flap. Most standard 165 x 170 mm flaps fit without changes.
Backed for two frames. One cat, but two doors she considers hers.
What happens if the cat sits in the doorway without crossing either beam?
Nothing is logged until the approach beam is broken. Sitting just outside it leaves no record.
Fourteen minutes is a long time to stand at a door. Ours would be offended if we asked.
Can the export be filtered to one direction only?
Not yet. The export lists every crossing in both directions, in order.
Backed the spare beam kit. We have a second flap this will eventually move to.
Is the display readable in direct sunlight?
The no-passage log is the part that sold me. Ours changes its mind constantly.