Fear that he won’t have enough to eat or drink, fear that he’ll be bored or what he might be doing while you’re away, guilt and sadness at leaving him alone at home… All the Dog and cat owners know these feelings well, especially when they leave for work in the morning or on a long weekend — even if they have asked a loved one or a pet sitter to watch over them. While nothing can replace the time you spend interacting with your dog or cat, there are gadgets out there that can keep him occupied — and even stimulated — during the day.
Especially since, according to a survey commissioned by the Observatory of French people and their pets, founded by the animal insurer SantéVet, and carried out by the polling institute Ipsos, cats are more likely to take revenge. (63%) against their owners than the dogs (44%) on their return from vacation. To avoid barking or scratching when you get home, here are seven gadgets for cats and/or dogs that can come in handy when they find themselves alone for a while.
The electric litter box that cleans itself automatically
Cats like to have their own litter box. If they feel that it is not enough, they may defecate outside the litter box. To avoid this type of inconvenience, especially if you are away for a while, there are electric litter boxes that clean themselves automatically after your cat has passed and neutralize odors, such as the Litter Robot, sold at 449.17 euros.
Automatic kibble or pâté dispensers
If you are afraid that your pet will run out of fresh food while you are away, there are different models of vending machines on the market, from the most basic to the most connected, to solve this problem. The SureFeed food dispenser, sold from 89.99 euros on Amazon, detects your pet’s microchip or radio frequency authentication tag and only opens for him. This system helps keep food out of the reach of flies, other pets or small children.
water fountain
Dogs and cats need to stay hydrated, especially during hot weather. Proper hydration is essential to regulate their body temperature. Some cats, in particular, don’t like to drink — and that can cause kidney problems. A water fountain is a great way to make this activity fun. There is a wide range of water fountains, of different brands (Dadypet, PetSafe, Drinkwell, Cat it etc). Count around 18 euros for the first price.
The two-in-one device that watches and feeds your pet
Many dog and cat owners often wonder what their pet is doing when they are home alone. Equipped with a surveillance camera, Furbo – but also PetCube – is one of the two-in-one connected devices, which allows you to both monitor your pet remotely and play with it by throwing kibble at it. Furbo connects via Wifi and Bluetooth, which allows you to monitor your pet throughout the day from the application installed on your smartphone. You can also throw a kibble to your pet remotely via this same app. Sold at 199 euros, Furbo is specially designed for dogs, since it includes a feature that detects barking and sends you push notifications.
Connected toys
There are many toys that can occupy your pet while you are at work: automatic laser for cats (for example, the FroliCat BOLT from PetSafe sold for twenty euros on zooplus), ball launcher for dogs ( for example, the iFetch sold at 187 euros on Amazon) etc. There are also Kickstarter projects of connected toys like the Pet Robot from the Californian company Varram, which allows you to exercise your pet and distribute treats to it.
The connected cat flap
The connected cat flap allows your pet to go out and come home as it pleases. It detects your animal using an electronic chip, opens automatically each time it approaches and closes when it is far enough away. There are different models: PetSafe SmartDoor sold from 94 euros on Amazon; different cat flaps connected — or not — are offered by Sure Petcare etc.
The activity tracker
There are connected collars for pets, which track their activities. Moreover, according to the survey of the Observatory of French people and their pets, this category of gadgets is one of those that arouse the most interest on the part of owners. The Weenect brand manufactures GPS systems for cats (69.99 euros on the manufacturer’s website) and for dogs (69.99 euros on the manufacturer’s website), as well as the Tractive brand (49.99 euros + price of the subscription).
This article originally appeared on Business Insider France
Receive our latest news
Each morning, the essentials of CAPITAL news.
