Can I feed my cat while on vacation?

Yes! Feeders like PETLIBRO can hold up to 20 days with a 5L tank. You can control and monitor via app, and get notifications for each feeding.

Does SurePet work with my cat's existing microchip?

Yes, SurePet reads all standard ISO microchips (15-digit). You can also add RFID collar tags if your cat isn't chipped.

Is a GPS tracker necessary for indoor cats?

Not necessarily. For indoor cats, AirTag/SmartTag is sufficient as backup. True GPS (Tractive) is best for outdoor cats and dogs.

Can Home Assistant track if my cat is inside or outside?

Yes! SurePet integration provides a binary_sensor showing if the cat is inside or outside. You can use this for automations like locking the flap at night.

How often should water fountain filters be changed?

Typically every 2-4 weeks depending on usage. PetKit integration can show filter life percentage and send notifications.

Can I prevent one cat from stealing another's food?

Yes! SurePet Feeder reads microchip and only opens for the registered cat. Perfect for multi-cat homes with diet requirements.

Smart Pet Care

Pets Automation Smart Home

Smart pet equipment keeps your pets fed, hydrated and safe - even when you’re not home. Modern products offer app control, cameras, and Home Assistant integration.

🎯 Types of Smart Pet Equipment

Overview

Type	Purpose	HA Integration	Price
Auto feeder	Automatic feeding	Via HACS	💰-💰💰
Water fountain	Fresh water	Via PetKit HACS	💰
Smart cat flap	Chip access	Native HA	💰💰
GPS tracker	Outdoor tracking	Via API	💰 + sub
Litter box	Auto-cleaning	Via HACS	💰💰💰

🍽️ Automatic Pet Feeders

PETLIBRO Granary - Best Choice

Price: ~$70-100 (without/with camera)

PETLIBRO is market leader in smart feeding:

✅ 5L capacity (up to 20 days)
✅ 5G + 2.4G WiFi
✅ Up to 10 meals daily
✅ 1-48 portions per meal
✅ Personal voice recording
✅ Low-food alarm
✅ Stainless steel bowl

With camera (Granary Camera):

1080P HD video + night vision
2-way audio
Motion detection
145° wide angle

Model	Camera	Price ~
Granary	No	$70
Granary Camera	Yes	$100

HA Integration (HACS)

Use PetLibro custom component:

# HACS → Integrations → PetLibro
# (Search for "petlibro")

# Entities:
# - sensor.petlibro_food_level
# - sensor.petlibro_last_feeding
# - button.petlibro_feed_now
# - switch.petlibro_power

# Example: Low food notification
automation:
  - alias: "Pet - Low food alarm"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.petlibro_food_level
        below: 20
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          title: "🐱 Feeder almost empty"
          message: "Only {{ states('sensor.petlibro_food_level') }}% food remaining"

  - alias: "Confirm feeding"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: sensor.petlibro_last_feeding
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          title: "Feeding completed"
          message: "Cat was fed at {{ now().strftime('%H:%M') }}"

Buy: Amazon, PetLibro.com

PETKIT Fresh Element

Price: ~$55-85

PETKIT offers premium quality:

✅ Fresh Element Mini/Solo/Infinity
✅ Vacuum sealing (freshness)
✅ Anti-jam technology
✅ Dual power supply
✅ Good HA integration via HACS

PetKit Home Assistant Integration

# HACS → Integrations → PetKit
# https://github.com/RobertD502/home-assistant-petkit

# Supports:
# - Fresh Element feeders
# - Eversweet water fountains
# - Pura litter boxes

# Entities:
# - sensor.petkit_feeder_food_level
# - button.petkit_feeder_feed_now
# - sensor.petkit_feeder_last_eating_time

💧 Smart Water Fountains

PetKit Eversweet 3 Pro

Price: ~$70

Keep water fresh and clean:

✅ 1.8L capacity
✅ 4-layer filtration
✅ Smart mode (motion sensor)
✅ LED water level indicator
✅ Ultra-quiet pump
✅ Stainless steel

Home Assistant via PetKit HACS

# PetKit integration supports Eversweet
# Requires BLE relay (another PetKit device)

# Entities:
# - sensor.eversweet_water_level
# - sensor.eversweet_filter_life
# - switch.eversweet_power
# - select.eversweet_mode

automation:
  - alias: "Water fountain - Replace filter"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.eversweet_filter_life
        below: 10
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          title: "💧 Filter needs replacing"
          message: "Water fountain filter only has {{ states('sensor.eversweet_filter_life') }}% left"

🚪 Smart Microchip Cat Flap

SurePet Microchip Cat Flap

Price: ~$170-250

Let only your own cats in:

✅ Reads microchip (RFID)
✅ Up to 32 registered cats
✅ 4 lock modes
✅ Curfew timer
✅ Native Home Assistant integration!

SurePet Connect Hub

For cloud features + HA:

Hub price: ~$85
App control of lock status
History of in/out
Push notifications

Home Assistant Integration

# Native integration!
# Settings → Devices → Sure Petcare

# Entities:
# - binary_sensor.cat_whiskers_location (inside/outside)
# - lock.cat_flap (locked/unlocked)
# - sensor.cat_flap_battery

# Example: Track the cat
automation:
  - alias: "Cat has come home"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.cat_whiskers_location
        to: "on"  # inside
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          title: "🐱 Whiskers is home"
          message: "Cat came in at {{ now().strftime('%H:%M') }}"

  - alias: "Lock cat flap at night"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "22:00:00"
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.cat_whiskers_location
        state: "on"  # Only if cat is inside
    action:
      - service: lock.lock
        entity_id: lock.cat_flap

  - alias: "Unlock in morning"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "07:00:00"
    action:
      - service: lock.unlock
        entity_id: lock.cat_flap

SurePet Feeder

Chip-based feeding for multi-cat homes:

Reads chip and only opens for registered cat
Prevents food theft
Perfect for cats on special diets

📍 GPS Trackers

Tractive GPS

Price: ~~$50 + subscription (~~$5/mo)

Real-time tracking of your dog/cat:

✅ GPS + WiFi + Cellular
✅ Live tracking
✅ Virtual fence (geofencing)
✅ Activity and sleep monitor
✅ Waterproof (IPX7)

Other GPS Trackers

Product	Subscription	Battery	Price ~
Tractive	$5/mo	2-5 days	$50
Apple AirTag	Free	1 year	$30
Samsung SmartTag	Free	Months	$25
Fi Series 3	$8/mo	3 months	$150

Note: AirTag/SmartTag are Bluetooth - not true GPS!

Home Assistant via Tractive

# HACS → Integrations → Tractive
# Requires Tractive account + active subscription

# Entities:
# - device_tracker.tractive_dog
# - sensor.tractive_battery
# - sensor.tractive_activity

automation:
  - alias: "Dog left the yard"
    trigger:
      - platform: zone
        entity_id: device_tracker.tractive_dog
        zone: zone.home
        event: leave
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          title: "🐕 Dog left the yard!"
          message: "Max has left home"
          data:
            actions:
              - action: LOCATE_DOG
                title: "Show location"

🚽 Smart Litter Boxes

PetKit Pura X / Pura Max

Price: ~$500-700

Automatic cleaning = no scooping:

✅ Auto-rotation after use
✅ Odor removal
✅ Cat weight tracking
✅ App with health data
✅ HACS integration

Litter-Robot 4

Price: ~$700

Premium self-cleaning litter box:

✅ Patented rotation
✅ Large capacity
✅ WiFi + app
✅ Native HA integration

# Litter-Robot integration
# HACS → Integrations → Litter-Robot

# Entities:
# - sensor.litter_robot_waste_drawer
# - button.litter_robot_cycle
# - switch.litter_robot_night_light

automation:
  - alias: "Litter box needs emptying"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.litter_robot_waste_drawer
        above: 90
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          title: "🚽 Litter box full"
          message: "Litter-Robot drawer is {{ states('sensor.litter_robot_waste_drawer') }}% full"

🏠 Smart Automations

Feeding on Arrival

automation:
  - alias: "Bonus feeding on arrival"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: person.brian
        to: "home"
    condition:
      - condition: time
        after: "17:00:00"
        before: "19:00:00"
      - condition: template
        value_template: >
          {{ (as_timestamp(now()) - as_timestamp(states('sensor.petlibro_last_feeding'))) > 14400 }}
    action:
      - service: button.press
        entity_id: button.petlibro_feed_now

Cat Tracking Dashboard

# Lovelace card for pets
type: entities
title: "🐱 Whiskers Status"
entities:
  - entity: binary_sensor.cat_whiskers_location
    name: "Location"
    icon: mdi:cat
  - entity: sensor.petlibro_last_feeding
    name: "Last fed"
  - entity: sensor.eversweet_water_level
    name: "Water level"
  - entity: sensor.litter_robot_waste_drawer
    name: "Litter box"

Night Mode for Pets

automation:
  - alias: "Pet night mode"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "22:00:00"
    action:
      # Lock cat flap (if cat is inside)
      - if:
          - condition: state
            entity_id: binary_sensor.cat_whiskers_location
            state: "on"
        then:
          - service: lock.lock
            entity_id: lock.cat_flap
      # Turn off fountain light
      - service: switch.turn_off
        entity_id: switch.eversweet_light
      # Switch feeder to quiet mode
      - service: switch.turn_on
        entity_id: switch.petlibro_do_not_disturb

🛒 Buying Strategy

Starter - Feeder (~$70)

1x PETLIBRO Granary ($70)
Total: ~$70

Complete Cat Setup (~$300)

1x PETLIBRO Granary Camera ($100)
1x PetKit Eversweet 3 Pro ($70)
1x SurePet Microchip Flap ($170)
Hub: ($85)
Total: ~$425

Multi-cat Home (~$700)

1x PetKit Pura X ($500)
2x SurePet Feeder ($280)
1x SurePet Flap + Hub ($255)
Total: ~$1,035

🛒 Where to Buy?

Feeders

Amazon - PETLIBRO, PetKit
PetLibro.com - Official

Cat Flaps

SurePetcare.com - Official
Chewy.com - US retailer

GPS Trackers

Tractive.com - Official
Amazon - AirTag, Fi

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Ofte stillede spørgsmål

Can I feed my cat while on vacation?: Yes! Feeders like PETLIBRO can hold up to 20 days with a 5L tank. You can control and monitor via app, and get notifications for each feeding.
Does SurePet work with my cat's existing microchip?: Yes, SurePet reads all standard ISO microchips (15-digit). You can also add RFID collar tags if your cat isn't chipped.
Is a GPS tracker necessary for indoor cats?: Not necessarily. For indoor cats, AirTag/SmartTag is sufficient as backup. True GPS (Tractive) is best for outdoor cats and dogs.
Can Home Assistant track if my cat is inside or outside?: Yes! SurePet integration provides a binary_sensor showing if the cat is inside or outside. You can use this for automations like locking the flap at night.
How often should water fountain filters be changed?: Typically every 2-4 weeks depending on usage. PetKit integration can show filter life percentage and send notifications.
Can I prevent one cat from stealing another's food?: Yes! SurePet Feeder reads microchip and only opens for the registered cat. Perfect for multi-cat homes with diet requirements.

📚 Next Steps

Smart Security

Monitor your home and pets with cameras.

See guide →

Presence Detection

Automate based on who’s home.