Make: Technology on Your Time Volume 03

VCR CAT FEEDER

Photograph by Thayer Gowdy

By James Larsson

Liberate a motor from an old VHS deck, attach it to a food chopper, and program the deck’s recording timer to fill Fluffy’s bowl on schedule.»

Set up: p.102 Make it: p.103 Use it: p.107

A VCR TO FEED YOUR PET

Any old VCR has a programmable timer that connects to motors for recording TV shows. This is analogous to feeding a cat, and following this principle, you can convert a VCR into a weekend pet feeder. You set the VCR’s timer, and when feeding time comes, the motor that would ordinarily spin the video head operates a food delivery mechanism instead. You can even program different size ...