[HN Gopher] Meow.camera
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       Meow.camera
        
       Author : surprisetalk
       Score  : 316 points
       Date   : 2026-03-27 14:41 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (meow.camera)
 (TXT) w3m dump (meow.camera)
        
       | moffkalast wrote:
       | Every time this is posted I wonder if one could improve the
       | backend so it doesn't take 5-10 seconds for a video stream to
       | connect.
       | 
       | Right now it's quite populated, but if I ever check it otherwise
       | it's like this: wait 10 seconds, no cat, wait 10 seconds, no cat,
       | wait 7 seconds, leave.
        
         | buildsjets wrote:
         | The "Feeders with Hungry Cats" dropdown filters to the active
         | cameras.
        
           | moffkalast wrote:
           | 60% of the time it works every time. Sometimes those are all
           | empty as well, or maybe there's a racoon instead :)
        
             | tdeck wrote:
             | This is in China so I assume there are no raccoons.
        
               | moffkalast wrote:
               | Well I did genuinely see one once on one of these cams,
               | probably escaped from the zoo.
        
         | dcrazy wrote:
         | I get it, but also, it's pretty amazing that it only takes 10
         | seconds to remotely activate and stream live video from a
         | camera installed in a cat house placed on a sidewalk 6,000
         | miles away.
        
         | 0x3f wrote:
         | They're in China so there's some inherent latency, but it only
         | takes about a second to load each stream for me (in Europe).
        
           | nyoronic wrote:
           | Only if someone else is streaming from the camera. If no one
           | is, it goes to sleep and it takes noticably longer to
           | connect.
           | 
           | When I looked at the site some months ago, I noticed during
           | Chinese nighttime, a sleeping feeder would turn on its lights
           | right after I connected (darkness for a second then a flash
           | of light).
           | 
           | So maybe it's a cost-saving measure for the hardware?
        
             | yawndex wrote:
             | The feeders are battery powered, so they can't be always
             | streaming 24/7 with lights on.
        
       | junon wrote:
       | Several asleep in their bowls lol. Can relate.
        
       | isolay wrote:
       | Almost as good as the cat aquarium!
       | 
       | https://customcataquarium.com/
        
         | solfox wrote:
         | I am tempted to get a cat as an accessory for a cat aquarium
        
         | dylan604 wrote:
         | There is yet still hope for the internet after all!
        
         | lopatnov wrote:
         | Not the same - different ideas. Cat aquarium is for cats, for
         | their relax. But meow camera is for watching by human. From
         | description: "It provides a platform for many cat feeders
         | around china which can have food dispensed to them through the
         | app." I don't understand how it's working
        
         | rav3ndust wrote:
         | haha! my cats would love this. thanks for sharing
        
         | rkagerer wrote:
         | Don't blame 'em. My dog and I likewise enjoy watching the
         | ocean.
        
       | khernandezrt wrote:
       | If there was a button to feed them for a small donation id be
       | broke.
        
         | eightys3v3n wrote:
         | There is in the Purrr app if you install and open that.
        
           | duncd wrote:
           | not available in region :(
        
         | MarsIronPI wrote:
         | It's free marketing!
        
       | stackdiver wrote:
       | Now we just need a cat presence detector!
        
         | antiframe wrote:
         | Isn't that what the "Feeders with hungry cats" category is?
         | That's what I thought when I clicked around, at least.
        
           | slopinthebag wrote:
           | Seems like it
        
       | ChrisArchitect wrote:
       | Some previous discussion from 5 months ago:
       | 
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45613047
        
       | lIl-IIIl wrote:
       | This is an interesting looking cat:
       | https://meow.camera/#7374059059738047159
        
         | ralfd wrote:
         | For people reading that later: a dog (pug) was feeding right
         | now
        
           | trhway wrote:
           | reminded :)
           | 
           | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AswHFBS7p2E
        
           | notatoad wrote:
           | it's 8 hours later and the dog is still eating
        
             | dragonfax wrote:
             | Oh my gosh, he's trying to stay awake but having a hard
             | time so he keeps tiping over.
        
             | Razengan wrote:
             | There are many dogs now
             | 
             | It's like the Gremlins
        
             | 8n4vidtmkvmk wrote:
             | 23 hours later too... Hungry dog.
        
           | gizzlon wrote:
           | Cutest cat ever
        
           | tensegrist wrote:
           | the stream title is (currently) Liu Lang Gou Bu Zai Liu Lang
           | 5 = "stray dogs will not be strays again 5" or similar
        
       | stronglikedan wrote:
       | Funny that The Feline Relaxing Place is currently the least
       | "relaxed" place.
        
       | himata4113 wrote:
       | I was reading that this is actually for neutering cats and that
       | there is some deep dark secret behind these, might be something
       | else tho.
        
         | MarsIronPI wrote:
         | Yes, part of the use of this network is to track strays and
         | neuter them. I don't think it's sinister though.
        
       | ge96 wrote:
       | Ahhh my browser back button
        
       | mbo wrote:
       | man, this cat is ranking pretty high on the feline grimace scale
       | :( https://meow.camera/#4258783365322591678 wondering how I would
       | contact the hosts
        
       | kogasa240p wrote:
       | Have known about this site for a while and it's very cute.
        
       | bovermyer wrote:
       | A lot of these enclosures are almost identical. There are only
       | tiny differences. Is this a cat boarding house or something?
        
         | Computer0 wrote:
         | I believe it is a standardized feeding system for the strays in
         | China.
        
           | thenthenthen wrote:
           | Yep. Although I have only seen them in Baoshan, Shanghai
        
           | tjohns wrote:
           | It looks like you can buy them in the Purrrr app.
        
       | saboot wrote:
       | Reminds me of the days when you could look up public camera feeds
       | with a specific string in a google search. Some of the camera
       | pages had controls! Spent a day with friends in a college dorm
       | scrolling through them.
        
         | plausibility wrote:
         | If you have a premium Shodan[0] account, they have an 'Images'
         | view which is filtered VNC and other Remote Desktop screenshots
         | and links to view them directly with the IP. Lots of security
         | cameras, some SCADA industrial access control screens, and
         | lately seemingly people who I guess are hacking vulnerable
         | Windows boxes and changing the wallpapers to anti Israel stuff.
         | 
         | [0]: https://shodan.io
        
           | saltamimi wrote:
           | I'm actually kind of surprised that most of these images are
           | just advertising and shock imagery. I never expected adverts
           | to be done through shodan, though I guess it makes sense.
        
       | dotnwat wrote:
       | Found a hedgehog https://meow.camera/#4228782262731189648
        
       | thoma4s wrote:
       | Thanks for bringing some joy to my day, I love whimsical projects
       | like this
        
       | sudoing wrote:
       | Does anyone know what cat feeder they use?
        
       | shevy-java wrote:
       | There are many cameras spying on cats.
       | 
       | People are not concerned about private data being broadcasted of
       | our feline overlords.
        
         | flysand7 wrote:
         | Cats aren't social species, they don't have the capability to
         | understand what is and isn't private. If a cat wants to lick
         | its balls it'll do that, even if the owner is watching.
         | 
         | Also, even if we wanted to push for some sick agenda that cats
         | should have rights too, you can't really make a cat aware of
         | said rights. Cats dont give a shit about cameras watching them
        
           | kulahan wrote:
           | It was a joke, I believe.
        
       | opengrass wrote:
       | Why does everyone have the same container?
        
         | flysand7 wrote:
         | A chinese company Hello has created an app called Hello Street
         | Cat - a livestreaming app that allows viwers to donate money to
         | feed stray cats. Presumably, since it's the same company, maybe
         | they purchased the feeders in bulk, that'll explain why the
         | feeders look the same
         | 
         | But I wonder why some feeders are more decorated than others.
         | For example Mr. Happy doesn't seem to have a container at all.
        
       | parpfish wrote:
       | i'd love to have a sort of chatroulette/omegele app for my cats
       | to "socialize" with other cats while I'm away, but it's the
       | internet so I know that it'd get filled with trolls.
        
       | Rotdhizon wrote:
       | https://meow.camera/#4291269398483497042
       | 
       | This one immediately makes me want to whip out my credit card.
       | Cute cat sitting at the food bowl waiting for someone to feed it.
       | It's one of the ones listed under "feeders with hungry cats"
       | 
       | edit: credit card has been pulled out
        
         | tjohns wrote:
         | The metadata at the bottom says the feeder is out of kibble. :(
         | A small amount (8%) of snack left, though!
        
           | Rotdhizon wrote:
           | Was just wondering. I fed it some kibble but nothing came out
        
             | nslsm wrote:
             | I assume it's a person who has to go and buy the kibble and
             | fill the feeder?
        
       | wheelhead wrote:
       | this is why sora was taken down
        
       | mycall wrote:
       | Needs a "Back in Meow minutes" on the screen when they go off-
       | camera.
        
       | locusofself wrote:
       | one of them I clicked on was totally covered in flies (the cat
       | food). eww
        
       | stephenhandley wrote:
       | Seeing more flies than cats
        
       | rechargedaily wrote:
       | very interesting. how did you fit in the camera without the cat
       | knocking it out?
        
       | Evidlo wrote:
       | Do these feeds loop? I swear I've seen the same cats twice.
        
       | andyclap2 wrote:
       | What about GDPuRrrr?
        
       | throwaway290 wrote:
       | looks like most of them in China?
        
       | hoppp wrote:
       | Its nice but I only saw 4 cats that were waiting for food. I
       | would like it if I could remote trigger food for them.
        
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       (page generated 2026-03-28 23:01 UTC)