Complete home tech for pets
From GPS trackers to animal Fitbits, here are six cool gadgets for cats and dogs
01 Pitpat A simple-yet-effective fitness monitor that clips onto any dog collar, the Pitpat uses a three-axis accelerometer to measure how much walking, running, playing and resting your four-legged friend manages. Input the breed, weight and age of your dog, and the device will calculate the optimum amount of walkies it needs. This Bluetooth 4.0 device stores over a week’s worth of data – just push the button to transfer.
£39.99, pitpatpet.com
02 Petcube More than a webcam, the Petcube is social media for animal lovers. The 720p live-feed, app-controlled camera (Android and iOS, including the Watch) can pan up to 162 degrees. Thanks to the two-way mic, you can listen in and chat to/soothe/scald Fido and Fluffykins via the built-in speaker. If that isn’t enough of a productivity vacuum, there’s a safe, touchscreencontrolled laser pointer for real-time lunch-break entertainment.
$149 (£104), petcube.com
03 Tractive
An essential for owners of pets with a bad case of wanderlust, the Tractive is a 35g collar-mounted GPS tracker (with a subscription service from £2.90 a month) that can keep real-time tabs on your cat or dog, pinging alerts to your smartphone if they stray beyond set boundaries. At 41 x 51 x 15mm, it’s best suited to bigger animals (4.5 kg+). Aside from preventing them from getting lost, the Tractive provides affidavitworthy proof of which neighbour has been feeding your pet their leftovers.
£69.90, tractive.com
40Petzi
Treat Cam
This combines all the Wi-Ficonnected fun of an app-controlled webcam with a smart treat dispenser, helping to dilute the guilt of leaving your pets home alone. Using various controls on the app, you can watch them play live, talk to them via the Petzi’s built-in two-way speaker, or use the Treat Launcher to spit out delicious biscuits for them to munch on.
$170 (£119), petzi.com
50Frolicat Bolt
Got a cat with energy to burn? The Bolt will keep them entertained for ages. Turn it on and the AA batterypowered interactive laser gadget will project a randomly moving red dot onto any surface, ideal for encouraging your cat to prance, pounce and stalk it like it’s the last mouse on earth.
£23.99, argos.co.uk
06 GoPro Fetch
Capture the world from your dog’s point of view with this adjustable GoPro mount (compatible with all GoPro cameras), which will fit dogs from 7kg to a bear-like 54kg. It’s padded for comfort and designed with two cameramount options. You can choose to see the world from your dog’s chest POV for UHD 4K bum-sniffing, or over their head for a running, jumping perspective.