Peek-a-boo, we see YOU!

Not to be left out of the technology craze, Pet Parents have many offerings to help them care for their Canine and Feline family members. Your four-legged friend gives you unconditional love every day of the year so why not indulge in them and yourself. Go ahead and spoil your pet throughout the year, its exactly what others expect of crazy cat purr-sons or a dotting dog parent to do. They are after all part of the family. There are no guilty feelings attached to being able to use the latest in technology for pet care. Even if you don’t own a pet there’s probably someone in your life that would appreciate a gift to their fur child.
Here are 7 handy tools to consider:
1.) It’s all in a day for a cat, having a place to “go” indoors and flaps on doors to be able to have access to the great outdoors and then come back in where it’s nice and warm at their whim. Inubox has come up with the doggy version of a litter box that relieves the Pet Owner from having to race home to let their dog out. Or if you are an apartment dweller with no yard than this automated doggy toilet may just be the answer for your tail wagging friend. Also on the horizon, Wagz has come up with a flap for your doggy door where a tag attaches to their collar to ensure that it only opens for them and not other wild creatures or neighbor dogs. And if you have more than one Pup, the flap can be configured for different dogs.
2.) While we are talking about latrines and you are smitten over your kitten. Lavviebot Purrsong has come up with a Wi-Fi connected litter box. Its claim to fame is that it has filters to reduce smell, a grid shelf to prevent tracking of litter and a phone app that alerts you when the litter is low. It automatically dumps the debris into a drawer which you occasionally empty. The only issue that I see is that I once had a cat who would not go in a hooded type litter box, he’d hang half of his body outside and half inside and believe me, it was a horrible mess. Once we removed the hood, that removed his problem.
3.) Do you or your pet suffer from separation anxiety? Or do you just wonder what they do while you are gone? The innovative creation that Vava Mobile Pet Cam has come up with is an answer. You have the ability to remotely access the Pet Cam and check on your pampered pets. The Pet Cam can follow your furry friend from room to room, even under the bed. There’s a two-way speaker so you can talk to them too. This mobile pet sitter has a laser pointer and a feather teaser you can control from the app to play with your kitty. And it has a built-in treat dispenser that distributes treats on your command. A real-time bark alert can send a notification to your phone when your dog barks. Then you can switch to the Pet Cam to see what’s going on that triggered his barking.
4.) Something that always breaks my heart is when I see a LOST PET sign tacked to a telephone pole. The fur-bulous invention of GPS trackers made specifically for pets have potentially changed everything. No more roaming your neighborhood, calling your pet until you are blue, expanding your search by car, alerting neighbors, making a poster and attaching it to mailbox posts and utility poles, calling local shelters, writing notices for craigslist and Nextdoor Neighbor. I even had one neighbor who hired a Tracker and his dog to assist in the hunt. In my research of this topic, I became aware that there are quite a few different Tracker options. So be sure to compare not only the prices for both the device and subscription options (one of them had NO monthly fee but a more expensive upfront cost) but also evaluate the distance restrictions and other features. Also read the reviews written by other pet owners to see their comments. Some of the features that are available to help keep tabs of Tabby besides unlimited Distance, are Real-time tracking which allows you to locate your pet child’s current location, Historical Route which shows you all the places your pet has traveled for the past 24 hours, Flashing LED lights that helps you find your fur baby when it is dark, Water-proof and Geo-Fencing alerts that notifies you when your pet leaves a pre-set designated area.
5.) We’ve got Fitbits to help us “Find our fit” now there is a pet version called RAWR. So instead of a wristband, this animal version is a smart-collar that has an app that is paired to your Apple or Android phone. Like a Fitbit, the RAWR promotes a healthy lifestyle by tracking calories burned & setting activity goals to make sure your pet gets enough exercise to prevent obesity. It also has drowning and overheating alert sensors by keeping an eye on your pet’s vital signs so you are aware of a potential issue. You will have the ability to keep tabs on your Buddy’s business with the personal assistant feature that helps organize grooming and vet appointments, medication refills and stores medical records. There is a good behavior training feature and a LED flashlight which makes him illuminated up to 1600 feet away for safe nighttime walking. All these features plus a GPS Locator so you always know where your furry friend is and you will receive alerts if he has wandered off.
Also the data is in from the question: “How does having your own four-legged friend affect your lifestyle & fitness level?” What Fitbit users say: 62% of dog owners feel that owning a dog makes them more likely to maintain their current weight or lose weight and 68% of dog owners feel that owning a dog reduces their stress. And the stats say that having a kitty in the house has positive effects in reducing stress levels. Evidence to this was published in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Neurology saying that “having a cat can reduce your risk of having a stroke or heart attack by a THIRD! This was proved by measuring the heart rate and blood pressure of people who have a cat in their life.
6.) As Rod McKuen the poet remarked “Cats have it all — admiration, an endless sleep, and company only when they want it.” Someone saw the need for cats to be healthy and happy so they invented the Little Cat exercise machine for cat weight control! The Little Cat by petding is the Cat’s Meow as a Personal Trainer. This specially designed machine provides playtime and workout for your cat on a big hamster-like wheel for cats to run on. There is a built-in LED laser light that your kitty will follow and chase. The Little Cat automatically calculates body mass and even suggests the best customized workout patterns for your cat. Through an app on your phone you can watch your kitty and actually monitor the speed of the wheel to go faster or slower.
7.) Cats love to explore and what more could you explore with them is to find out more interesting facts about them by checking their DNA. Basepaws is a genetic testing kit for cats. Once you know about their ancestry, you will know more about their ideal weight, potential health issues for their particular breed. And in the Basepaws Alpha Report there is a comparison of your cat to 16 different WILD cats! I think this would be actually very informative, I have a cat that has wild moments that make me think that she is a Monster! I have mentioned to people that she is the most unique cat that I have ever known. Purrhaps having insight about her past might give me breakthrough tips on how to tame this wild child.