Pet Tech Products Worth Your While

1. Automatic Feeders and Waterers

Many of these will require connection to your Kinetic Internet Wi-Fi, so you can control the device with your smartphone any time, anywhere. Smart feeders and waterers also allow you to control portions and how quickly the food is dispensed. Some of these devices also come with cameras, loudspeakers or pre-recorded messages. Be sure to see whether the feeder can withstand both wet and dry foods, depending on your pet’s preference.

2. Pet GPS Trackers & Activity Trackers

Thinking that your furry friend may need a little more exercise? Think no more! You can now get insight into your pet’s activity with trackers, like WonderWoof. The bow tie-shaped tracker connects via Bluetooth and monitors how much activity your furry friend is getting compared with how much it should be getting based on its size, breed and age. Some trackers also let you set reminders for other to-dos like vet check-ups, grooming appointments and feeding times.

Or, if your pet likes to pull a Houdini act and disappear, try an evolved activity monitor, like Whistle, which includes a pet GPS tracker. Let’s face it: wrangling your pet can be hard, and if it isn’t microchipped and you don’t have a pet GPS tracker, it can mean the difference between bringing home Buddy and losing him. Whistle specifically will let you set “safe places” for your pet — spots where your pet spends time unsupervised — and get notifications when your pet leaves those areas. Once you’re notified, you can track in real time your pet’s location and pick it right up!

3. Pet Cameras

Don’t fret if you didn’t get a feeder with a camera. There are still many more options to keep an eye on your fur baby. Take for instance the Furbo Dog Camera, which requires a stable Wi-Fi connection. The camera made just for dogs lets you see, talk and toss treats to your pup — even when you’re not there. Furbo will also send you real-time barking alerts and smart dog alerts, such as when your pup starts to get active or jumps on furniture. You can also get those “selfies” when your dog is facing the camera, so you can upload them straight to his or her social media site.

Other options include Petcube, which can send you live videos of your furry one, and PetChatz HD, which, among other things, allows your pet to call you, streams DOGTV and emits pet-safe aromatherapy.

4. Toys

Now that the kids are off at school all day, ol’ Fido’s going to need someone — or something — to play with. For cats and dogs, try CleverPet, which will also require a Wi-Fi connection. CleverPet uses lights and touchpads to give your pet puzzles. As your furry friend solves each one, he or she will be rewarded with treats and will advance to an increasingly challenging puzzle.

Another option is PupPod, which uses a “wobbler” — instead of buttons — as a toy. Similar to CleverPet, PupPod lets you set how challenging of a puzzle you want to give your dog but includes a few more micro-adjustments, such as time intervals between sounds.

5. Pet Monitoring Systems

We’d all love it if our pets could live forever, but, of course, that’s not an option. Like humans, pets may suffer from health issues as they age. The good news is that there are pet monitoring systems that can help you keep a closer eye on your pet’s health.

For all you kitty owners, try Tailio, a litter box that checks in on your cat’s health. The litter box will note your cat’s weight, amount of waste, frequency of visits and behavior. That information will be sent to your cat’s profile stored in the cloud and will be used to determine baselines and abnormal activities. If something is off, you will receive an alert that your cat needs care. Note that this device will also require a Wi-Fi connection.

For cat and dog owners, try Petrics smart bed, which will track your pet’s weight and activity. The smart bed, which also offers climate control, will link to the brand’s Activity Tracker, which tallies up health metrics like calories burned.

Cat and dog owners can also try PetPace, a smart collar that monitors your pet’s body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and calories burned. This option will also monitor activity levels, positions and heart rate variability to help you identify trends and any irregularities.

While you’re putting your paws on all the new pet tech, don’t forget to get that strong high-speed Internet to keep your gadgets and gizmos running. With Kinetic Internet, you can have speeds starting at 25 Mbps and going up to one Gig. See what speeds are available in your area by entering your name and address here.