- Joined
- Jun 26, 2020
- Messages
- 2
- Purraise
- 2
Hello,
This is my first post. I made a large feeder for the local stray cats. It works really well, and I don't have to worry about the food running out when we travel.
At first, I just drilled a two inch hole in a polyethylene bucket from Walmart. The problem was, the food only dribbled out, and it quit feeding reliably when only half-empty. Also, the lid was not secure, and it was hard to pry off and on.
It seemed like a bad idea to make the hole bigger, so I created an internal curved slide from high density polyethylene. (The slide was designed in 3D and laser cut, but if I did it again, I would just cut up a third bucket.) The plastic is almost as slippery as teflon. The slide is positioned diagonally inside, and now every last bit of food comes out.
I bolted a dish under the hole so food doesn't go everywhere.
The feeder now emptied reliably, but the ramp takes up about 25% of the capacity. Plus I was refilling it too often. So I bolted another 7 gallon polyethylene bucket on top using stainless steel screws. The top bucket has a locking lid that screws on like a jar, which is great..
The feeder holds about twenty pounds of food. It is stable, and won't tip over. I put the whole thing on an abandoned wooden kitchen chair, and so far the height has discouraged the skunks from sharing the cat's food. I don't think the squirrels have found it, but that might have to do with all the cats.
I originally feared that our patio would become a cafeteria for thousands of cats, but it's always the same few. It works well, and I don't have to fill it very often.
Cheers,
TommyKay
This is my first post. I made a large feeder for the local stray cats. It works really well, and I don't have to worry about the food running out when we travel.
At first, I just drilled a two inch hole in a polyethylene bucket from Walmart. The problem was, the food only dribbled out, and it quit feeding reliably when only half-empty. Also, the lid was not secure, and it was hard to pry off and on.
It seemed like a bad idea to make the hole bigger, so I created an internal curved slide from high density polyethylene. (The slide was designed in 3D and laser cut, but if I did it again, I would just cut up a third bucket.) The plastic is almost as slippery as teflon. The slide is positioned diagonally inside, and now every last bit of food comes out.
I bolted a dish under the hole so food doesn't go everywhere.
The feeder now emptied reliably, but the ramp takes up about 25% of the capacity. Plus I was refilling it too often. So I bolted another 7 gallon polyethylene bucket on top using stainless steel screws. The top bucket has a locking lid that screws on like a jar, which is great..
The feeder holds about twenty pounds of food. It is stable, and won't tip over. I put the whole thing on an abandoned wooden kitchen chair, and so far the height has discouraged the skunks from sharing the cat's food. I don't think the squirrels have found it, but that might have to do with all the cats.
I originally feared that our patio would become a cafeteria for thousands of cats, but it's always the same few. It works well, and I don't have to fill it very often.
Cheers,
TommyKay
