Best PetTech Gadgets for Your Four-Legged Friends

In honour of National Pet Day, we have compiled a list of 6 PetTech gadgets to level up your furry friends’ lives.

Dogs have been humankind’s loyal companions since the 16th century. Millennials are reportedly willing to spend US $2,000 more on their fur babies rather than on themselves. Love for our pets has even expanded to making dedicated Instagram pages, YouTube videos, and pet friendly cafes. With technology’s rapid development, new and exciting innovative PetTech gadgets are being developed everyday, and here are our top six recommendations to spoil your four-legged friend.

1. Furbo

The most dreaded part of every pet owner’s day is leaving your furry friend at home, watching their desperate eyes make direct eye contact as you close the door. During the day, you constantly check the time, counting down the hours until you head home to see them again. Taiwan-based Victor Chang and Maggie Cheung founded Furbo, a nanny camera for your pet, to help owners connect with their pets, even when away from home. With Furbo, you can record videos and take pictures, play calming music, and also feed pets treats through Artificial Intelligence (AI). A video monitor will ease your worries and is a great way to make your pooch feel less lonely.

2. BowLingual & MeowLingual

Have you ever wondered what your dog is trying to say when it barks? BowLingual is a device created by Japan startup Takara Tomy in 2002. After immense popularity and success, Takara Tomy developed MeowLingual, their cat translator. The device is a simple collar your pet can wear, and watch the translation appear on a separate device whenever they bark or meow. The translation devices use AI to help decode 80 different dog breeds’ special messages and over 200 different cat meows. Although MeowLingual only provides Japanese translation, the device can also provide health check tests for cats.

3. Toletta

In the centre of cat-loving Japan, PetTech startup Hachi Tama launched Toletta, a smart Internet of Things (IoT) litter box. Using an AI camera to recognise and distinguish each of your cat’s faces- for those with multiple cats- Toletta sends out daily health reports of their urine output, weight, and behaviour through the app connected to your phone. This special litter box is also designed to separate urine and faeces to make cleaning more convenient. The founder, Koji Hori, hopes this innovation can help to decrease the risk of your feline developing chronic kidney disease or any other urinary tract diseases.

4. PetInsure

PetInsure is a Bangkok-based startup marketed as an online pet insurance platform. They offer different insurance packages, plans, and costs based on an individual and their pet’s needs, and also provide locations of local vets. The app also has an in-house vet to examine your pet before approving each insurance plan to make sure the pet is receiving quality care, and also to reassure and relieve pet owners’ stress.

5. Furpal

Every year, at least 6 million cats and dogs are abandoned, and over 3 million dogs get euthanised in shelters. To help lower this number, Furpal is a Singapore-based app founded by Kylie Teo in 2019, with the goal of educating and preparing aspiring dog owners. Marketed as Tinder for dogs and dog lovers, individuals get to set up a profile picture and match with dog owners who will share their experiences, the cost of owning a dog, proper grooming supplies, dog-owning tips, etc. Dogs are also able to get more positive human interactions through the app, when their owners meet up with other dog lovers, helping them learn to become more sociable and prepared for the real world.

6. MyPetKit

MyPetKit is a platform founded in 2013 in Auckland by dog lovers. Its website is filled with smart products for pets, like the EVERSWEET water bowl which includes a filter to make sure your pets are drinking clean and healthy water. Another popular PetTech gadget, the GO-Smart Pet Leash, is marketed as a Fitbit for dogs. Connecting your phone via Bluetooth, you are able to set walking goals, and track your pet’s steps via PetKit’s GPS-enabled app, and also be able to answer phone calls through the vibration function of the leash. While walking at night, the leash will also act as a flashlight to warn cars to make sure your walks are safe.