New High-Tech Gadgets Just for Pets (and Anxious Owners)

TV for pets. Apps for pets. Is it any wonder there’s a host of other pet-minding devices to track or entertain our furry friends while we’re away?

The New York Times has covered several innovations designed to calm the anxieties of busy owners. Here are some of the coolest:

• Whistle, a $100 dog tag, has an accelerometer that tracks your pet’s movements and sends them to a smartphone app. When you’re away, it provides a sense of what your dog’s been up to. It also keeps track of how much your dog rests and performs various activities over time, which could provide you and your vet with useful information.
• The Passport Pet Access Smart System, a pet door that comes in two sizes, can manage the comings and goings of up to 20 pets. Don’t want your dog outside when the mailman comes? Set a time restriction that won’t allow the door to open for Fido between 2 and 4 p.m. Meanwhile, the cat can enter and exit as he pleases. The door settings also allow for one-way restrictions (only in or only out) for more flexibility.
• AiKiou’s Stimulo Cat Interactive Feeder is all about playing with your food. The feeder “helps weight control and helps your cat rediscover his true nature,” its website says. Rather than a simple bowl, food is hidden in a group of nine tubes of various lengths. Cats have to work for the food, reaching in and scooping it out. For cats that eat too much too quickly, it’s also supposed to help prevent vomiting. There’s a dog version with a different design for the same price.

Would you try any of these tech toys for your pets? Do you already use something else you think is interesting? Let us know on Facebook.