We love our pets. The animals in our lives are often more important than many of the humans in our lives, and it’s our responsibility to keep them happy and healthy. We need to do for them what their tiny animal brains simply can’t manage. This is where innovative pet gadgets come into play.
Luckily, there are several pet loving tech companies out there developing products to help us monitor everything from the amount of exercise they’re getting, to their location when they’re out of sight. These companies are basically taking the concept of the quantifiable self and applying it to pets.
Since we know many of you have pets whom you love and that you want to give them the best quality of life you can, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best pet gadgets for your little hairy companions.
DogTelligent Connected Collar
This all-in-one smart dog collar. It tracks activity to keep your dog in great shape, stores vet records to keep you on top of visits and vaccinations, and even has an integrated ultrasonic dog whistle to detect and deter excessive barking. They just finished a successful IndieGoGo campaign, raising almost 500% of their initial goal.
PetNet Smart Feeder
Proper feeding is one of the most important keys to optimum health. At PetNet, they’re creating more than just an automatic feeder, but an entire pet feeding analytics platform. The app connected to the feeder allows you to feed remotely, set feeding schedules, and also offers insights on feeding such as the best ingredients and proportions for your pet.
Motorola Scout 5000
Yes, the name sounds like something out of a 1950s sci fi movie, but stay with me. This is a GPS tracking collar, that not only tracks your pet’s location, but also has an integrated 720p HD webcam. If your dog is ever lost, you can tap into the collar and get a live feed of what your dog is seeing. This collar is probably best for larger dogs, since it’s a bit bulky.
(Photo credit: Reviewed.com / Lee Neikirk)
Fitbark
Besides having the most adorable website ever, this product is pretty self explanatory. It’s basically Fitbit for dogs. You can track your dog’s activity levels, sleep, and habits. Your dog gets BarkPoints for activity, and the analytics included help you instantly pick up on any changes in behavior. It’s pretty ideal for dog care businesses too, because it lets the owners see what their dogs are up to when they’re away. Fitbark recently launched at Target.
Petcube Camera
This is the ultimate in nanny cams for your pet. Not only can you spy on your pet when you’re away, you can also interact with them from afar. Two-way audio stream lets you give your pet commands that they’ll her and, hopefully, follow. There’s also a built in laser pointer game that you can control, so you can participate in your pet’s play time and exercise even when you’re not physically there.