Smart homes are going to the dogs—and cats. Developers have been hard at work designing devices to bring greater comfort and convenience to the lives of both pets and their owners.
Below are a few of the latest gadgets for your furry friends.
The Little Cat
Not every cat can be an outdoor cat, but that shouldn’t stop them from getting the exercise they need to lead happy and healthy (nine) lives. The Little Cat is an app-connected, Internet-of-Things-based smart treadmill for your fitness-needy feline. A vertical-standing circle, inset with a revolving, paw-friendly padded ring, The Little Cat cajoles your kitty into running through the use of an LED light that will have your feline feeling like it’s playtime. Owners can set the pace for their pet or leave it up to The Little Cat, which will determine your cat’s body mass-index and personalize an exercise regimen for them.s. Owners can keep track of their cat’s progress through the accompanying app, and even offer encouragement to their tiny trainer via recorded voice messages that can be played on demand.
The Little Cat, which will be available in four jewel-themed colors in March, is expected to retail for about $1,800.
PetNet SmartFeeder
Like exercise, diet is an important factor in providing your pet with a happy, healthy life. Unfortunately, every pet owner isn’t a licensed animal nutritionist. And now, thanks to the PetNet SmartFeeder, they don’t need to be. An internet-connected, intelligent pet feeder, SmartFeeder will automatically calculate your pet’s optimal daily calorie intake using your animal’s age, weight, activity level and food type, and then dispense the appropriate meal portions, automatically, on a schedule determined by you—allowing you to keep your beloved friend fed, but not overfed, from across town or across the world. Via the associated PetNet app, users can get alerts when their animals finish their meals and when they are running low on food.
The PetNet SmartFeeder is available for $179.
Wagz Smart Door
If your pup is given the freedom to frolic in your yard unsupervised, then the hours you’re away from home can seem, to their precious canine cortex, like unending torture.
With the Wagz Go Smart Door, however, you’ll be able to give your four-legged friend the freedom of the great outdoors even if you’re miles from home.
Working in conjunction with the Wagz Pet Pendant (a collar attachment; think smart charm), the Go Smart Door will unlock as your pup approaches, granting them access to outside, and then automatically relock once they are a far enough away, protecting your home from entry by other animals or unwanted intruders. Owners can override this automated function as well, via the Wagz app, to grant outdoor access only at scheduled intervals during the day. In addition to giving the gift of freedom, the Wagz Go Smart Door comes with a host of other helpful features, including a motion-activated HD video camera to keep you up to date on your dog’s comings and goings and a smart home integration, allowing you to pair your doggie door with your doggie food dispenser for example.
The Wagz Go Smart Door is available for $549.
LavvieBot + Purrsong
There’s no debate of what is the worst part of cat ownership—cleaning the kitty litter. The LavvieBot leverages high-tech design and intelligent automation to make this thankless chore as painless as possible. Looking like a miniature washing machine, this Wi-Fi-enabled water closet for cats will automatically sift soiled litter into a lower, scent-containing, bag-lined chamber that can be easily emptied without assaulting your senses. Better still, the LavvieBot will make sure your feline friend won’t track any litter into your living room, via a shifting grid system that shakes any litter residues from their paws before they exit. With the accompanying Purrsong app, users will be alerted when they are running low on litter (and that they should order more) and can even track their animal’s regularity should they—or more likely their vet—need that information.
The LavvieBot will launch an Indiegogo campaign in May to finance its production, with unit orders starting at $379.
InuBox
Of course, dogs also require regular bathroom breaks, and for city dwellers who may not have ready access to a yard, this can be a bit more laborious of a task—one that can be required at all times of day.
Looking like a mix between a dishwasher and a printer, InuBox is the the world’s “first fully automated dog toilet.” And by automated, they mean automated. InuBox’s front door, when open and flat on the floor, operates as a platform for your canine to deposit waste. Once InuBox detects waste—and no dog—it closes onto itself, solidifies the waste and seals it in a closed bag, allowing owners to dispose of the mess without ever sniffing it. InuBox has the potential to become dog’s new best friend—and a dog walker’s worst nightmare.
InuBox will launch a Kickstarter campaign to finance its production, with unit orders expected to starti at $1,200 and delivery to begin in October.
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