The American Pet Product Association estimated that people spent almost $63 billion on their pets in 2016. And why not? Pets are often like members of the family or co-workers in the office (we’ve got our fair share of office dogs at eero).
Cooper the dog
Our pets are our companions, they get us outside and moving, and they are sometimes tasked with keeping us safe and comfortable. With the holiday season right around the corner, there’s no better time to show your pet how much you appreciate them that spoiling them with the latest and greatest smart-pet-technology. Here are five great WiFi-powered gifts for the Fido and Fluffy on your holiday shopping list:
Image from: Petnet.io
Let’s start with the basics. Food. Your schedule can be unpredictable, but your pet sure knows when it’s time for breakfast and dinner. Instead of juggling your morning alarm and end-of-day meetings, invest in a Petnet PetFeeder. Petnet is an automatic pet feeder that dispenses food at pre-set times during the day. Using the Petnet app, enter your pet’s age, weight, and activity level, and the app will give you a personalized meal portion for your cat or dog. Plus, the app will send your phone a push notification every time your pet has been fed so you never have to wonder if the food has been dispensed. Bonus for you, because your pet knows the magical robotic machine feeds it at regular intervals, it won’t come hound you for breakfast before the sun is up.
Petcube Play
Being away from your pet all day, or while on vacation, is hard. But pet cameras like Petcube make the separation more bearable. The Petcube Play is an indoor camera that allows you to keep an eye on your cat, dog, bird, or hamster from your smartphone. It’ll send you push notifications when major events happen at home (like a play-fight or bark) and you can use the two-way microphone to both talk to and listen to your pets. The camera even has a built-in laser so you can play with your pet when you’re out of the house.
While Milo and Otis may have a sense of adventure, it’s every fur-parent’s worst nightmare to lose track of their fur-baby. Whistle 3 is a small device that attaches to a collar and allows you to track your pet’s location and activity via a smartphone app. Whistle uses both WiFi and GPS data to keep track of your pet, so even if they’re out of range of your WiFi signal, the cellular data on the device will kick in and you’ll be able to track them. Whistle also doubles as a pet fitness tracker, so you’ll always know just how far they’ve ventured each day (and how many extra treats to ply them with).
If it’s fitness and entertainment you and your pet are after, considering Kickstarting the Pebby Smart Ball. Pebby is a “smart” collar-and-ball system that allows you to monitor and entertain your pet from anywhere using, you guessed it, your smartphone. Via Bluetooth and WiFi, you’ll be able to watch all the action, control the Pebby ball, and capture your pet’s moments in real time, with a built-in wide-angle camera. It’ll take their play to a whole new level.
Image from: Friskies.com
While a “smart ball” may be the perfect toy for your dog, your cat might not find it quite sophisticated enough. Good thing the Friskies company makes more than just cat food — they now make games your cat can play on a tablet. Friskies’ games include Cat Fishing, Jitter Bug, and Pull N’ Play, which all respond to the touch of a cat’s paw on the screen. The apps are free, which means it’s much cheaper than installing that koi pond that tops your kitty’s holiday list.
Stocking stuffer extra: Pooch Selfie
OK, OK, while this isn’t exactly a WiFi-powered pet product, it’s still a whimsical tech accessory for the dog-lover in your life. Marketed as a “selfie accessory,” the Pooch Selfie is a great way to grab your dog’s attention for that perfect picture. Attach the ball to your smartphone with the Pooch Selfie clip and give it a squeeze – the squeak will grab Fido’s attention just in time for you to snap a photo. Bonus, a portion of each sale is donated to help shelter animals, so it’s a win-win stocking stuffer for the holidays.
Smart tech has made leaps and bounds over the past few decades, and as you can see, the connected device trend has finally reached our pets. But ultimately we all win when we stay more connected to our furry friends.
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