Stray Cat Feeders

Feeders (猫屋, "Cat House"/"Kitty House") are the units that the cats eat in. As of February 2024, over 21,000 feeders had been distributed in China. They are connected to the Hello Street Cat apps and people are able to pay to feed the cats kibble or freeze-dried chicken snacks which are conserved using freshness packets. Each Feeder has at least one Caretaker who replenishes the food supply in the feeders, cleans the cat house floor, decorates it, etc.

The outside of a cat house (Credit 中安在线)

A Feeder/Cat House is composed of four main parts: The Dispenser and food bowl, the food storage, the cameras, and the shell. There is also a gap next to the food bowl meant for the water dispenser, consisting of a plastic support and a plastic water bottle that may be added by the respective Caretaker. (Note: This only applies to the standard cat house model and may be different in other models).

Each cat house has its own variety of cats - unless the feeder is near another feeder, such as the Happy Canteen and Auspicious Restaurant where they can sometimes have the same cats visiting.

Every feeder has their own sequence of numbers called an ID. These are mainly how the English community can view the streams.

More Extensive Details Of The Feeders

Here is a post by the Purrrr team around the setting-up of the feeders

Before you see our cozy cat houses on the livestream, a lot of love and effort goes into creating a safe haven for stray cats.

📍 Thoughtful Placement Matters

After discussing with nearby residents, our team works select quiet, hidden locations where cats can eat and rest without disturbance.

✨ Guiding Stray Cats to Their Cozy House

1️⃣ Follow the Treats: Use cat sticks or canned food to guide cats to the house. Snacks make everything better! 🐾

2️⃣ Irresistible Smells: Add freeze-dried snacks or canned food to the bowl inside. Cats will follow their noses straight to it! 🍗

3️⃣ Familiar Favorites: Place their usual food or water bowls nearby. Familiar items make them feel right at home. 🥣

And then... our little furry guests remember this “cat cafeteria” as their another home! By the time you see them on the livestream, they’ve already made so many happy memories here. Let’s keep giving these precious ones a reason to come back! 🏠

A kitten happily eating food
A fatty got lured to the feeder

Here is a post by the Purrrr team around the resistance of the feeder

You might see the cat houses every day during the livestream, but their thoughtful design might still surprise you. Here’s what makes them so special:

🌊 Weatherproof and Tough

Made with galvanized steel and a protective powder coating, the cat houses resist rust and withstand rain thanks to drainage grooves and IPX5 waterproofing.

The frame is crafted from fire-resistant materials and tested for UV exposure to ensure it endures up to three years of sunlight.

🍽️ Food Storage and Feeding

Inside, there’s a sealed food storage box to keep meals fresh and a tilted, semi-enclosed bowl that protects food from wind and rain while matching cats’ eating habits.

Each cat house comes with a built-in water dispenser compatible with most bottled water. Simply insert a bottle, and the dispenser releases just the right amount of water.

Technology is Changing Cats' Lives!✨

The feeder in general
The Dispenser
The water bottle

Here is a post by the Purrrr team around the inner working of the feeders

✨ Comprehensive Monitoring

Each cat house has three cameras at the back, top, and feeding area. The wide-angle top camera provides a clear view of the surroundings, and our team can tag cats, build profiles, and track TNR progress efficiently.

✨ Real-Time Connectivity

With 4G communication, the cat house ensures real-time updates. Warning labels prevent tampering, and an alarm sounds if the house is moved, so volunteers and staff can act quickly.

✨ Sustainable Power

Some of our cat houses are testing solar power! While it’s still a work in progress, in the meantime, rechargeable, waterproof batteries keep things running smoothly, with automatic route planning to ensure timely replacements.

Let’s take a look at our cat house from a cat’s perspective! 🐾😺

The Dispenser
The ceiling
The back camera

Cat House ID's

Main article: Feeder/Cat House IDs

Feeder Models

There are two types of feeder models outside the standard one, this is without including kibble-only variants.

Beta Feeders

You can see the feeder's colors, lack of signs, and its unique Dispenser

"Beta Feeders" are believed to be a model previous to the current iteration, with their main characteristics being: the white outside and blue interior, most of them don’t have signs on the outside, and a unique Dispenser shape. Despite having a gap to add water bottles, they usually have their own water dispensers.

There weren't many of these produced, hence the lack of documented feeders. One of the few documented feeders using this model is 5A Scenic Cat Area

Prototype Feeders

A picture of the prototype feeder model

As of around July 17, 2024, a new feeder model is being tested for 3 months in Big Man's Cat Houses. The goal is to introduce the model into more cat shelters so that cats may have a better chance of being adopted.

The model is a lot smaller and only has one camera attached. There is no back camera, and the top camera can be placed in any position by the shelter.