My mom owned an outdoor cat for years. Every day, the cat would disappear for hours then return proudly with an unwanted “gift”; a dead mouse or bird. At CES 2024, one Swiss startup showed off a possible solution. Originally shown as the Flappie AI-Powered Cat Door, the concept is now available as OnlyCat. Yes, it still involves AI: the smart flap detects prey and locks until your cat drops it, while microchip recognition ensures only authorized pets get in. A little weird? Maybe. Game changer for cat owners? Also yes.
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Flappie AI-Powered Cat Door was one of those CES products that stuck in people’s minds. It wasn’t flashy, but it solved a very specific, very real problem cat owners didn’t realize tech could tackle.
So what exactly is this thing, and how does it work?
What exactly is the OnlyCat AI Cat Door?
The OnlyCat flap builds on the original Flappie technology, combining AI prey detection, microchip recognition, and smartphone connectivity in one sleek unit. It still prevents cats from bringing prey inside, but now it’s available as a finished, consumer-ready product instead of a CES demo.
What makes it different from other smart pet doors? It has microchip recognition, but adds a camera and AI-powered image recognition to the mix. When your cat approaches from outside, the system analyzes what’s in their mouth. If it detects prey, the door stays locked. Once the prey is dropped, the door unlocks and lets your cat in.
The idea isn’t to punish cats for hunting (it’s just their instinct), but to make bringing prey indoors a dead end, literally and figuratively. Over time, cats can learn that carrying “gifts” inside just doesn’t work.
How this AI-Powered Cat Door works in real life
From a tech standpoint, OnlyCat offers way more than your standard cat flap. It has:
- A motion sensor detects when a cat approaches
- A camera with night vision captures what the cat is carrying
- An AI detection system analyzes the image in real time
- If prey is detected, the door stays locked
If your cat drops the prey, the door automatically unlocks
According to OnlyCat, their AI system is 99.6% accurate. So it’s pretty good. Maybe the odd mouse will slip through, but if one does, you can report it to help the system learn and improve.
There’s also microchip detection, so only your cat can use the door, plus manual controls on the inside if you want to lock or unlock it yourself or disable prey detection altogether. There’s an app too, but OnlyCat says the door still works even if you don’t want to connect it to the internet. This is something I appreciate, given how many smart products become unusable without an app.
Will your cat stop trying to bring “gifts”?
The big question with the OnlyCat flap is whether it actually teaches your cat not to bring in prey. Can your furry friend make the connection between carrying something and being denied entry?
From my experience, and from what other cat owners tell me, the answer is mostly yes. Prey delivery attempts usually become less frequent over time. Some cats even give up entirely. That said, don’t be surprised if your clever little hunter tests the system every few months, just to see if those perimeter defenses are still working. Cats are persistent like that.
So, while it might not completely eliminate “gifts” forever, it definitely makes them far less of a regular surprise—and honestly, that’s already a huge win.
Why people are still talking about it
The Flappie AI-Powered Cat Door first caught attention after being shown publicly as part of the wave of smarter, more targeted pet tech. That the OnlyCat is still relevant isn’t hype; it’s that it actually addresses something most of us quietly wish we could fix.
Plenty of smart home gadgets exist just because they can. OnlyCat exists because outdoor-cat owners have been dreaming of a way to stop surprise “presents” on the kitchen floor. That’s why people are still searching for it—and why it’s worth considering now that it’s actually available.
Availability & Pricing
Good news: the OnlyCat Flap is officially available. It’s regularly priced at $851.99, but right now it’s on sale for $679.99. If you’ve been waiting to see this concept actually come to life, now’s the time.
The package includes everything you need to get started: the OnlyCat flap itself, the OnlyCat app (free on iOS and Android), a UK/EU/USA/AUS power adapter, and a high-quality 3.0m braided USB-C cable. The flap runs on a USB-C Power Delivery supply (9V 2A), with a small backup battery for short interruptions, and while it’ll still operate if your Wi-Fi goes down, the app features—like notifications and remote control—do require a connection.
Does the OnlyCat Flap Actually Deliver?
On a conceptual level, I think it does. The idea behind the OnlyCat (Flappie AI-Powered Cat Door) is really clever: use AI for a specific, everyday problem rather than bolting it onto a product that didn’t need it in the first place.
In practice, it’s impressively smart. The flap combines AI prey detection, microchip recognition, and a connected app so you can track your cat’s activity, lock/unlock access remotely, and even share clips of mischievous or playful moments.
For now, this flap is perfect for outdoor-cat households willing to be early adopters. Will it end dead mouse “gifts” forever? Probably not. But even a significant reduction makes life with outdoor cats cleaner—and a lot less stressful.
Lauren has been writing and editing since 2008. She loves working with text and helping writers find their voice. When she’s not typing away at her computer, she cooks and travels with her husband and two daughters.
