Fido getting fat? Now there’s a Fitbit for pets

Are you worried your dog isn’t keeping up at the dog park? That your cat is actually chubby — not fluffy?

The latest development out of the wearable technology craze may be for you — the Fitbit for pets.

Fremont-based Poof recently launched its line of gadgets that track activity, calories burned and sleep patterns in dogs and cats. The small, colourful devices attach to a pet’s collar or harness and connect to a smartphone app where humans can track their animal’s fitness progress, see feeding recommendations and compare their pet’s activity level to other animals on the app.

“We really wanted to give the pets a voice,” said Poof marketing director Kim Tran, who pointed out that our furry friends can’t tell us when something is wrong. “As a real-life example — my little Boston terrier. I didn’t realize that he hadn’t been sleeping well until I looked at the tracker.”

The trackers come in two sizes — the Pea (the size of a quarter) sells for $39.99 US and has a replaceable battery that lasts up to six months, and the Bean (the size of a pill) sells for $49.99 US and has a rechargeable battery that lasts up to two months. The app is free, and allows pet owners to input their animal’s breed, age and weight for personalized results.

Poof raised $67,000 on Indiegogo earlier this year, and already has shipped about 1,500 pre-ordered trackers.

All proceeds from sales of Poof trackers will go to nonprofit Greater-Good, which supports animal shelters and rescue groups around the world.