Pet Tech On The Rise

Ever look at your pet and wonder what must be going through their furry little head? Though science has yet to develop a bark and meow translator, we can still use tech to our advantage when it comes to communicating with and relating to our pets.

Millennials and baby boomers alike agree that their pets are more than just animals, they are family members. As result, we want to give our pets the very best life possible from fun to safety and everything in between. Around eight million dogs and cats make their way to animal shelters every year, many of them lost pets anxious to get home. Since its start in the late 1990s, pet microchipping became one of the first and most popular forms of pet tech, influencing the rise of more high-tech pet gadgetry. Microchipping identifies pets on the most basic level and helps them get home, filling a niche that remained empty for so long – but microchipping isn’t a GPS tracking device. When we see what microchipping can do, it makes us consider what it *can’t* do. And from there, we begin to fill in the gaps.

Millennials are two times as likely to use tech to keep track of their pets, and can you blame them? This tech-savvy generation embraces pet tech as a way to keep their pets close even the physical distance separates them. On average, the typical American workers spend around eight hours a day in the office, 9.5 hours on sleep and personal care, and another two or three hours on chores and household responsibilities. By the end of the day, that leaves just three or four hours to spend with our family and pets; after a while, this lack of quality time can begin to take a toll. Two-way home cameras and the built-in app of the Furbo Dog Camera gives us a much needed digital link to our pets at home. Check in on your dog or cat from anywhere and even surprise them with a tasty snack courtesy of the automatic treat dispenser, be alerted to excessive barking with a push notification, and reduce symptoms of separation anxiety for both pet and person.

Indoor pets, especially when owners are away for hours at a time during the day, are prone to obesity and the health risks that follow. When no one is home to give attention and encourage play and exercise, chronic napping and lethargy can set in. Give your pets an opportunity to get off the couch when you’re not home with something like the GoDogGo Machine Ball Fetcher, perfect for indoor and outdoor use. This nifty gadget keeps dogs of every size, age, and activity level occupied with their favorite past time, even when you’re not home. For cats, the FroliCat Bolt proves irresistible even to the fanciest of cats. The combination of both physical and mental exercise of chasing around a laser pointer will give a lazy cat something to do during the day other than napping in the sunshine.

In the last 15 years, spending on our pets has more than doubled and by 2017, $70 billion was the annual pet price tag. Accommodating for 393 million pets in the US and 68% of households with at least one pet, this spending goes far beyond just squeaky toys and frisbees – pet tech is on the rise.