Passport Cat Door

David thought the cat door he and his wife set up in their back slider was a perfect solution until they came home late one night to find a family of raccoons settled into their newly remodeled kitchen. The unpleasantness that ensued convinced them a better plan was necessary.

What they needed was a cat door that enabled their cat come and go as she pleased without also leaving the house open to all manner of party crashers. If only the cat had a key to the house. Sadly, without opposable thumbs or pockets the cat key idea was a dead end.

David turned to the internet to buy a solution. While there were plenty of cat doors on the market promising to solve the problem none had the features he was looking for, so he started drawing up ideas and collecting notes. Unfortunately, the project stalled because he was clueless about the RFID technology at the heart of the idea. Game over. Until he starting discussing chicken trackers (more on that later) with Beth. She knew electronics and RFID and adopted the project.

A few iterations later, they have a functioning prototype. While the project is far from over it is a testament to the power of an open community to make the impossible real.