How to Build a Simple Arduino Cat Toy That Drives Your Cat Crazy

Building a fun, automated cat toy using an Arduino is a great weekend project that can provide your feline friend with hours of entertainment. With just a few common components, you can make a simple device that randomly moves an object around to keep your cat engaged and active. Here's how to build your own Arduino cat toy.

What You'll Need

To build the cat toy, you'll need:

• Arduino Uno - The brain of the toy that controls the random movements. Any Arduino board will work.

• Servo motor - This allows the Arduino to move and rotate a target object. Get one that is suitable for the weight of your cat toy.

• Ultrasonic sensor - Detects when the cat is nearby so the toy can move.

• Jumper wires - For connecting the components to the Arduino.

• Breadboard - To easily connect the wiring.

• Cat toy object - Feather toy, paper ball, stuffed mouse etc. to attach to the servo.

• Arduino IDE - Software to program the Arduino.

• USB cable - Connects Arduino to your computer.

• 9V battery & cable - Powers the Arduino.

Assembly Steps

Follow these steps to assemble your interactive cat toy:

1. Attach the Servo

First, attach the servo motor wires to the breadboard. The order doesn't matter, but note which wire is which.

2. Connect the Ultrasonic Sensor

Next, attach the ultrasonic sensor's VCC, Trig, Echo, and GND pins to the breadboard.

3. Connect the Wiring

Use jumper wires to connect the Arduino's 5V and GND pins to power the servo and sensor. Connect the servo signal pin to Arduino pin 9. Connect the sensor's Trig and Echo pins to Arduino pins 10 and 11.

4. Upload the Program

With the Arduino IDE, open the example Sweep sketch and upload it. This will sweep the servo back and forth.

5. Mount the Toy

Hot glue or tape your cat toy object to the servo horn. Position it near the edge of a table or shelf.

Coding a Random Movement Sketch

To make the toy move randomly, we need an Arduino sketch. The key steps are:

• Include the Servo library

• Define Trig and Echo pins

• Setup variables for distance, servo position

• In loop():

• Trigger sensor to check distance

• If cat is detected within 20cm, generate random servo position

• Sweep servo to new position

• Add delays between sweeps

This results in a toy that rotates randomly when your cat approaches! Tweak for different behaviors.

Encouraging Your Cat to Play

Once built, encourage your cat to interact with the toy:

• Place cat toys or treats near the toy so your cat associates it with rewards

• Turn on toy when feeding your cat so they learn to approach

• Slowly increase toy speed and range of motion as your cat gets comfortable

• Change toy object to maintain your cat's interest

With a simple DIY Arduino cat toy, you can build an automated, interactive plaything to stimulate even the most aloof of cats! Adapt it to suit your pet's personality for hours of feline fun.