Try to tell three cats apart for a smart feeder with Gemini for Home

FailureEvidence: Article or interviewPosted Aug 18, 2026Last checked Nov 1, 2026

Gemini for Home couldn't tell Jennifer Pattison Tuohy's three cats apart, so a camera-triggered feeder routine overfilled the bowl.

Source checked Nov 1, 2026
Results shared
Limitations noted

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Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish.

Goal: Set up a camera-triggered pet routine only after confirming the camera can reliably tell my pets apart.

Questions to ask me first:
- How many pets do you have, and how do they look different?
- Which camera and smart device should the routine use?
- What should happen, and how many times a day at most?

Inputs (fill in or confirm):
- Pets and descriptions: [NAMES / LOOKS]
- Camera location: [CAMERA, e.g., laundry room Nest Cam]
- Scene or device to run: [SCENE, e.g., Aqara 'Feed Smokey']
- Daily limit: [MAX RUNS PER DAY]

Rules:
- Before creating the routine, show me the last few times each pet was identified so I can check the labels.
- Add a daily limit so the routine can't run more than [MAX RUNS PER DAY] times.
- Tell me plainly if you can't distinguish pets of the same type.

Checkpoint: Wait for me to confirm the identifications are right before you turn the routine on.

If you get stuck: If pets keep getting mislabeled, say so and suggest a routine that doesn't depend on telling them apart.

Verify before you finish: Check the routine's trigger, daily limit and target device against my inputs.

Output: A summary of the routine and its limit, plus the identification checks I approved.

Done when: The routine runs only for the right pet and never more than the daily limit.

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ChatGPT Gemini Used in source Grok Claude

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The prompt they actually used

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Run my Aqara 'Feed Smokey' scene whenever the Nest Cam in the laundry room sees Smokey.

AI tool

Gemini for Home

Outcome

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, a smart home reviewer at The Verge, tested Gemini for Home's Pet Memory feature for two weeks to keep track of three cats: Smokey, Boone and Osa. Setup was simple, but Google Home insisted all three cats were Smokey, and when Tuohy added more detail (Boone is a tuxedo, Osa a tabby kitten, Smokey a large gray-and-white cat) it said it couldn't process the extra detail. Tuohy then asked Gemini to run an Aqara 'Feed Smokey' scene whenever the laundry room Nest Cam saw Smokey. It set up the automation, but because it couldn't tell the cats apart, by the end of one day the food bowl was overflowing. It also reported Smokey eating in the garage when the clip showed Boone in the laundry room.

Evidence: Article or interviewA newsletter, journalist or interview account of what happened.

Known limitations

FailureThe source says the AI did not get the job done.

What went wrong: After two weeks, Pet Memory still couldn't tell the three cats apart, and the camera-triggered feeding routine overfilled the bowl.

Source

Posted: Aug 18, 2026 by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy (The Verge)
Last checked: Nov 1, 2026
Method:: How we verify

https://www.theverge.com/tech/981269/google-home-gemini-pet-memory-nest-camera-review

Context: Pet Memory requires Google's top-tier plan at $20 a month and works only with indoor Nest cameras. A Google Home product manager said Gemini can struggle to distinguish between multiple pets of the same type.