CatFeeder is an Arduino (ESP8266) MQTT-controlled cat feeder designed to feed your pets remotely or on a schedule. This project is a fork of jorgerance/catFeeder, replacing the original Telegram bot with MQTT and Home Assistant integration.
New Features in this fork:
- MQTT Support: Fully controlled via MQTT topics.
- Home Assistant: Ready-to-use integration (sensors + scripts).
- Manual Override: Physical pushbutton for manual feeding.
- Food Level Monitoring: Uses an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor.
The ESP8266 is a low-cost Wi-Fi chip with full TCP/IP stack and MCU (microcontroller unit) capability produced by Espressif Systems. — Wikipedia
- 📡 Remote Control: Trigger feeding via MQTT.
- 📶 WiFi Connectivity: Connects directly to your home network.
- 🥣 Food Level Monitoring: HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor calculates remaining food %.
- 🔘 Manual Button: Physical button for ad-hoc feeding.
| Item | Approx. Cost (USD) | Approx. Cost (EUR) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NodeMCU V3 (ESP8266) | ~$2.65 | ~€5 | |
| NodeMCU Base Breadboard | ~$1.88 | ~€3 | Optional |
| L298N Dual H Bridge | ~$3.33 | ~€7 | Driver |
| HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor | ~$1.50 | ~€2 | |
| 12V 2A Power Supply | ~$6.58 | - | Recycled |
| Cereal Dispenser | ~$10.00 | ~€12 | For dual |
| MDF Pieces | ~$6.00 | ~€2-4 | 45x15 & 15x15 |
| Metal L Brackets | - | - | x2 |
| Plastic Enclosure | ~$4.00 | ~€1 | Standard electrical box |
| 5x8mm Couplings | ~$5.50 | ~€9 | 4 pieces lot |
| NEMA 17 Motor (1.7A) | ~$9.00 | ~€12 | |
| Misc. Cables | ~$2.00 | - | |
| Acrylic Spray Paint | - | ~€5 |
Total Cost: Depends on what you have lying around! 😊
No need for a perfboard; direct wiring works fine. For the ultrasonic sensor, hot glue works well to mount it on top of the dispenser.
Before uploading, open catFeeder.ino and search for REPLACEME. You will need to update:
- WiFi SSID & Password
- MQTT Broker IP & Credentials
- OTA Password
Ensure these are installed in your Arduino IDE:
#include <Stepper.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <ArduinoOTA.h>
#include <PubSubClient.h>
// Use this specific fork for getFormattedDate() support:
// https://github.com/taranais/NTPClient/releases
#include <NTPClient.h>
You can use the script provided in the HASS - Homeassistant folder.
MQTT Command Topic:
To feed the cats, publish feed to:
home/catfeeder/feed
MQTT Status Topics:
- Last Fed:
home/catfeeder/lastfed - Remaining Food:
home/catfeeder/remaining