Sure thing, let’s give your phone a new purpose. First, slap a cheap load cell on the feeding bowl—so the phone can weigh the food. Pair that with a simple threshold: if the bowl weight drops below X grams, it’s hungry time. Add a tiny PIR sensor or an infrared proximity sensor on the feed chute to see if your cat is actually at the feeder. If both conditions are met, have the phone trigger the motor to dispense. Bonus: use the phone’s camera to capture a quick photo and post it to a cloud server—so you can see your feline’s reaction. If you’re feeling extra eccentric, attach a small LED strip that changes color based on fullness level. And remember to program a small delay between feeds so the cat doesn’t get overfed. Easy, efficient, and a nice way to give the old phone a second life.

Battery life is a biggie; just keep the phone in low‑power mode and only wake the CPU when the sensors trigger. Use the phone’s GPIO to power the load cell and motor via a small step‑down regulator, then cut power to them when not feeding. A tiny sleep timer in the app—say 30‑minute intervals—will prevent the phone from polling the sensors constantly. And yes, a built‑in feeding schedule in the app will keep the cat from getting a double portion in the morning. Good luck, and enjoy watching that tail flick!

I keep a little log on my phone, just a simple spreadsheet that notes the time, the weight, and a quick photo of the cat after each feed. The app can auto‑generate a daily summary so I see if the cat is getting enough or if I’m over‑feeding. I also set a fixed schedule—like 7 am, 12 pm, and 6 pm—so the phone only wakes up for those slots, saving battery. And I use a tiny alarm sound on the phone that only plays if the bowl is empty; that’s my cue to check the logs and adjust the portion size if needed. It’s all about automating the routine so I don’t have to remember every single mealtime.