Nowadays, with the advancement in technology and pet products available, it seems that owning a pet has never been easier or more convenient! As pet owners, we have so many options available to help balance our busy lifestyles and taking good care of the pets. Whether you are a tech-savvy pet owner or are just looking for a cool product to buy for a pet lover, you have lots of products to choose from to satisfy your needs!
Technology is not meant to replace the bonding time with our pets, but it can certainly help make our lives a little easier when we are juggling so many hats to wear. Here are seven different types of technically savvy pet products available that could give you a little help with pet ownership, and even make it more enjoyable! You can click on the names of the products and it will take you to their websites. I am NOT affiliated with any of these products and I do not receive any profits for endorsing them.
GPS Pet Locators
There is a misconception that your pet’s microchip is a GPS, and that is incorrect. Pet microchips cannot tell us where our pet is located if they are lost. Until recently, there wasn’t a product in existence that could do that! There are a few brands of pet GPS locators out there, but the idea is still a new concept, so some of the models are still a little buggy. The best one that I have found is the Whistle Go Pet Health and GPS tracker.
- This device attaches to your pet’s collar. It is connected to your home network via Wifi but also has cellular connectivity.
- You can set a “home zone” area on a map. If your pet goes outside of the “home zone,” you will be notified via an alert on your smartphone. The company has an APP that you can pull up to locate where your pet is and give you directions to get to them if needed.
- The device also offers activity monitoring, so you can see how active your pet is regularly and set activity goals to keep your pet in shape.
- The service is connected to AT&T’s cellular network; therefore, there is a monthly (or annual) subscription fee associated with using the service.
My dogs have had this for years, and in my opinion, it is well worth it! One downside about Whistle is like with cellular service, it can have some dead zones. This device can also be used for cats; however, it can be a little bulky, so for a petite cat, it might be a bit uncomfortable for them to wear. My cat is smaller and wears one, and it doesn’t bother her at all. The device measures 2” square.
Automatic/Wireless Pet Feeders & Waterers
If you are looking for some help with feeding the pets, there are quite a few options available. Whether you need something to help you feed your pet on time, or if your pet needs to be fed smaller meals throughout the day, you can program an automatic feeder to help with this.
The Petsafe automatic feeder has a lot of neat features! This feeder is Wifi enabled, so you can pull up an app on your phone and remotely feed your pet at any time. You will get notifications when your pet is fed, as well as warnings if the food level is getting low in the feeder. Here are some other great features:
- You can program a feeding schedule for your pet and never have to worry about missing a meal again.
- You can program certain portions of food for each feeding if you have a pet that is on a diet.
- For pets that are super-fast eaters, the feeder also has a slow feed option available, so it will feed the portioned amount over 15 minutes rather than all at once.
- The feeder also has a battery backup option, so if you have programmed feeding times saved and the power goes out, it will still feed your pet.
- If the feeder becomes disconnected from Wifi, your pet’s scheduled feeding times will still be saved, and your pet will be fed. You will just lose the remote feed option if your feeder is not connected with Wifi.
- This Petsafe model also can be set up with Amazon Dash to automatically order more food for your pet if your pet’s food level gets low in the feeder. For folks that do not buy their pet’s food on Amazon, this is just an option, it is not something that has to be setup.
I have this feeder for my cat, and it works wonderfully! I had to take a quick emergency trip out of town for a few days and could not find anyone to watch my cat while I was gone. I picked up this feeder, programmed it in 20 minutes, and knew that my cat was going to be adequately fed while I was gone! It really gave me peace of mind.
Sureflap Microchip Feeder: for the food thieves!
If you have a multiple pet household with cats or small dogs and have a problem with your pets stealing each other’s food, there is a solution for that as well! A company called Sure Petcare Company makes a device called the Sureflap microchip feeder. This is a fancy food bowl that remains closed until your pet sticks its head near the bowl. Here are some of the features:
- There is a microchip reader in the base of the bowl that will detect your pet’s microchip (or their id tag that you can place on your pet’s collar) and open the lid to the bowl for your pet.
- This is an excellent option if you have one pet that is on a special diet, and you do not want the other pets to get into their food.
- Once your pet walks away from the bowl, it’s lid will close so that none of your other pets have access to the food in the bowl.
I was a little skeptical about this product until I watched some of the videos on Amazon submitted by the customers. I was thinking that the opening and closing of the device would scare the pet. However, the customer videos show pets using it without any problems.
Petkit Eversweet Water Fountain
If you have pets that prefer fresh water, this fountain may be the solution for your household. It has a quadruple filter system on it to ensure your pet’s water is clean and fresh every time. It holds 2 Liters (68 oz) of water and keeps the water continuously circulating, which may encourage your pets to drink more. The only downside is you still must remember to refill the water bowl, unlike this next water fountain.
Perpetual Well Automatic Pet Water Bowl
This is a fantastic water bowl for your pets, and it is indeed “automatic.” This system is self-filling and self-draining, so you never have to worry about forgetting to check the water bowl. This system does require a place to permanently install the unit that will have access to the potable water in your house. This system will hook up to a water supply area in your home, allowing the water bowl always to be full. What a neat idea! Check it out on Amazon and watch the video for more information.
Other Great Pet Tech Solutions
If you’re not into cleaning the cat’s litter box or cannot seem to keep up on it, check out the litter robot for cats. This is a genuinely amazing self-cleaning litter box. After your cat exits the litter box, the litter robot will start a countdown, and after a period, it will dispose of the mess into a storage tray where you can simply empty it!
The litter robot also has a model that will connect to Wifi, and you can download an app that will track how often your cat is using the litterbox when the waste drawer is full, or if the device needs more litter. This is excellent information to have so that you are familiar with your cat’s habits and can recognize if your cat suddenly starts to change their potty habits. If you notice a sudden change in litter box usage, you then know your pet may be sick. By having this feature, you may be able to catch an illness a lot sooner.
For those folks that are a little apprehensive about trying an automatic litter box, the best part about this litter box unit is if your cat doesn’t use it, or if you don’t like it, you can return it within 90 days for a full refund!
High Tech Pet Fully Automated Pet Door
For families needing a safe pet door solution, this one is great! This door is automatic and is only opened by an ultrasonic collar your pet will wear. This product does require some installation as it is meant to go directly into your wall, and it does need a constant power supply. Considering those two downfalls, it still appears to be the best model available right now. Here are some other features.
- The door senses when your pet is near and will open. It will only open if your pet is heading directly towards the door, so there is no need to worry about it opening if your pet is just passing by the door.
- The door also has a control panel allowing you to turn the unit on and off. You can also adjust the sensor settings if needed.
- There is a deadbolt built into the door, and the panel is bulletproof for home security! Check out their video on Amazon for more information.
Pet Cameras and Treat Dispensers
One of the coolest features in technology nowadays is being able to check up on your pet when you’re not at home. There are several different brands of pet cameras available with many options. Simply pull up the app on your phone and login to the camera to check up on your pet. Some of the cameras are two-way cameras so that your pet can see you and hear you talk to them.
Depending on which camera you purchase, you can also get one that will dispense a treat to your pet. How cool is that! The cameras do tend to be simple, usually meant to sit on a table or mount on a wall. So, if your pet is not in the area, you will not be able to see them on the camera. However, some pets are reactive to sound, so you may be able to talk to them through the camera to get their attention, or launching off a treat should get them to come running!
These cameras come with so many options! The PetCube camera has a built-in laser, so you can play a little laser tag with your pet. The PetChatz camera boasts the features of a “digital daycare” as it offers the option for your dog to “call you” by pushing on a platform. It is a two-way camera, so the dog can see you on the device. You can also turn on “dog tv” so your dog can watch a video on the camera! The Furbo Dog Camera is even smart enough to detect when your dog is continuously barking, and you can set it up to alert you to check in on them if they are barking too much.
“Smart” Toys and Other Items
Here are a few cutting edge pet toys available:
Automatic Ball launchers
These are by far the coolest toy ever for dogs that like to fetch! My pug will spend hours fetching the ball, so I am really excited about this toy. This is an automated ball launcher that will launch a tennis ball anywhere from 8-30 feet away.
There are several brands available, but the Petsafe Automatic Ball Launcher and the IFetch seem to be the most popular ones. You can adjust the distance and angle of how the ball launches. To prevent exhaustion from too much play, the Petsafe brand has a built-in safety feature that will shut the unit off for 15-minute rest intervals.
This egg-shaped toy is an ultimate cat teaser. If your cat likes to chase things, this toy might be a good fit for them! This toy is designed to mimic a mouse as it moves and makes sounds, enticing your cat to bat at it and try and get the feathers. It can sense objects and erratically change directions as well. You can program the toy to turn on for certain intervals throughout the day, change sounds, and alter movements. It truly is a smart toy! Check out the website Shru Website for more information on this toy.
Although this looks like an ordinary retractable leash, this leash is a different design for those dog owners that like to use retractable leashes. It has a safety locking feature in the leash so that if your dog suddenly tries to take off on you, it will lock the leash, not allowing it to retract. It also has bungee material at the end of the leash to help with the shock of the leash locking up so quickly. Like other retractable leashes, it does still have the thumb locking feature on it as well.
Making our lives as pet owners so high-tech!
Whether you are looking for a quality GPS locator for your pet that likes to escape, a programmable food bowl, or a smart toy for your furry friend, there are so many options available to try. Just like with human products, pet products are advancing rapidly in technology and capabilities, making our lives (and our pets’ lives) easier in ways! Have fun shopping for your pets and discovering new exciting products!