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Sighting

Definition​

A sighting is a recorded observation of a specific cat at a particular time and location. It is the fundamental tracking event in the Roll Claw system.

Usage in Roll Claw​

Sightings are the core data points that enable Roll Claw to track cat presence, movement patterns, and health status. Key aspects include:

  • Recording which cat was seen
  • Documenting the exact location of the sighting
  • Timestamping when the sighting occurred
  • Noting who observed the cat
  • Optionally recording health observations or other notes

Technical Implementation​

In the Roll Claw system, sightings are implemented as events:

{
  "event_type": "CatSightingRecorded",
  "event_id": "5f8a4d2e-3c1b-4d8a-9f7c-8b1e2d3f4e5a",
  "timestamp": "2025-04-22T14:30:22Z",
  "data": {
    "cat_id": "cat_123",
    "location_id": "loc_456",
    "observer_id": "user_789",
    "health_notes": "Appears healthy, eating normally",
    "photo_url": "https://storage.roll-claw.com/sightings/5f8a4d2e.jpg"
  }
}

Quick Sighting Recording​

The Roll Claw system prioritizes quick and easy sighting recording with:

  • Minimal required fields (just cat and location)
  • Pre-populated location options based on colony territory
  • Offline functionality for field recording
  • Batch recording option for multiple cats

Missing Cat Detection​

Sightings are used to automatically detect potentially missing cats by:

  • Tracking the time since last sighting
  • Comparing to the cat's typical pattern
  • Generating alerts when sighting gaps exceed thresholds