They are a treasured member of any family, yet our pets have secret lives that few owners know much about.
Now, the next generation of devices are beginning to allow owners to see into their world and are predicted to become mainstream by industry insiders.
Petcams are cameras that can be set up around the home to record what your animals are getting up to when you are not around. Most are motion-sensitive and many, such as Samsung’s PetCam, connect to your Wi-Fi network. This means you can log in at any time from your smartphone to see what your pet is up to, and even solve the mystery of who has been stealing the clothes from the washing basket.
Some new cameras emerging on the market, such as Dropcam, developed by Google-owned smart thermostat company Nest, will also send you alerts when a pet enters part of the house.
It even features a microphone and speaker, allowing you to offer some reassuring words to your pet, and perhaps for them to “talk” back.
These cameras are expected to allow you to designate certain areas of a room as off limits, so you can be alerted if your mischievous pet jumps up on to the sofa or runs along the kitchen top. This will allow owners to continue training misbehaving animals even while away from home.
A bird’s-eye – or cat’s-eye – view
But there are also cameras that are giving owners an animal’s eye view of their pet’s activities. Light enough to be worn around their neck, they can capture your cat’s movements on video as it roams around the neighbourhood and provide some fascinating insights into your pet’s “personal” life. It can help owners work out if their pet is going places they shouldn’t, who their friends are and if they have a secret life with another family.
But if you really want to see where your furry friend is going when you are not around, lightweight GPS trackers, such as PetTrax, fit to your pet’s collar and allow you to track their movements to see where they are at any time. It could mean an end to those frantic neighbourhood searches and lost posters next time the cat or dog runs away from home.
Fighting fit: wearables will monitor pets’ health
Pets are also getting their own wearable technology that can monitor how much exercise they get during a day and how much sleep they are getting, with devices such as Whistle and FitBark.
Otto Petcare Systems combines this idea with an automated food dispenser, which means you can use your mobile phone to dispense food to your pet even if you’re stuck in a meeting or even on holiday. The amount of food can be adjusted according to how much exercise your pet has done – measured by a collar-mounted motion sensor. Another gadget under development, Bistro, uses facial recognition software to deliver food to your cat, alerts you to changes in their diet while you are on holiday and even lets you watch them while they eat.
And if you can’t wait to get home before playing with your pet, then there are some internet connected pet toys that you can use to tease and entertain your pet. iPet Companion, which is being tested in animal shelters, gives people the option to play with the cats there over the internet with pieces of string and balls that can be controlled remotely; you can watch the animal’s reaction on video.
You’ll never have to worry about your pet being bored at home again.
Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Sainsbury’s Bank.
Sainsbury’s Bank pet insurance helps with vets’ fees at home or abroad. Depending on the level of cover you choose, complementary treatment, physiotherapy and even behavioural problems can be included. You could also get help if you need to advertise to get a lost pet back. You can start a policy if your cat or dog is over eight weeks old but hasn’t yet reached its ninth birthday. Cover continues up to any age so long as you renew the existing policy. Sainsbury’s Bank pet insurance is provided by Allianz Insurance plc. Terms and conditions apply.
