Wednesday 29 April 2020

Technology issues

The SmartConnect cat flap has been playing uo.   A few weeks ago, Lewis got out a few times, but we didn't understand how.  The flap was set to "indoor" for the kittens, which means it lets them in but not out.   The App hadn't registered him going out,  accusations about un-careful door openings flew.  We speculated. Could he be going out behind Izzy?  We set up a camera.

The camera showed that it was random, but it was happening.  Forno reason, with no click, it would let Lewis out.    We reset the cat flap.

Eventually we go to the point where we were letting the kittens out.  The cat flap sporadically decided to deny them entrance.  Or to recoginse them.  We reset it.  We continued it on "indoor" mode, which meant the cats could only get out when we opened a door for them.

For a while, things were fine.  Yesterday I mentioned that I'd seen Shelby trying to get in, but the cat flap hadn't done the clunk of recognition.   DH said it was working ok.

This morning I let the cats out when  I went to let the Girls out.   I was going back upstairs with a cup of tea, so I shut the back door.

Later, Lewis came for a cuddle. Izzy came for a cuddle.  There was no Shelby.

I went to look for her, but couldn't find her.  I got the Loc8tor out, and found she was down by the greenhouse. Only she wasn't.  I guessed she was Next Door.    I got dressed, got the stes, and looked over the fence.  There she was, mewing pitifully.

I woke next door up and asked if I could go in their garden to colelct her.  Social Distancing was maintained at all times.    I rescued a very soggy moggy,

We tested her with the cat flap.  It didn't recognise her.  She's still registered OK,  but hte Flapjust wasn't recognising that she was there.

We're changing the batteries, again, and we might reset it again.

It's such a great piece of technology...when it's working.  It's a pain in the b*m when it's not.

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