Cat owner rigs motion-activated neon sign above litter box
A UK tech journalist's partner installed a motion sensor and neon "On Air" sign above their cats' litter box, which lights up every time the cats use it. The idea grew out of a spare sensor from the cats' water fountain.
Dominic Preston, a writer at The Verge, describes how his two cats, Noodle and Loaf, who normally lead a fairly low-tech existence, became unwitting subjects of a household experiment: a motion-activated neon sign reading "On Air" now sits above their living room litter box, lighting up whenever either cat steps in to use it.
The idea came from his partner, who first suggested it as what he assumed was a joke, only to discover she meant it seriously. The project builds on an existing gadget already used at home — the cats' ceramic water fountain, which runs on a cheap USB-powered motion sensor that activates the pump only when a cat approaches to drink, rather than running constantly. That fountain came with a spare motion sensor, which the partner repurposed and connected to a neon sign bought on Etsy.
Placement proved tricky
Preston warns that getting the sensor placement right isn't straightforward. Positioned incorrectly at first, the sign could be triggered accidentally by people walking by. Even now, its position causes an annoying reflection on the television screen, which he finds distracting during tense movie scenes.
The cats themselves don't appear bothered by the setup — it hasn't stopped them from using the litter box as usual. Still, Preston admits he wouldn't relish a giant illuminated sign announcing every one of his own bathroom visits.
