In this day and age technology has completely changed our lives to the point where we now have a gadget for almost everything. It therefore comes as no surprise that technology has quickly migrated into the world of pets and there are now tons of gadgets designed especially for pets and their owners. Along with incredibly useful and time saving gadgets you will of course still find the ever-present useless ones with some seeming to have no real use whatsoever! From silly gadgets that are just for fun to ones that might completely change the way we look after our pets, we’ve got the essential information on all of them.
One thing that concerns all of us is safety, whether it is our belongings, our house or our pets. To protect our house and belongings we have burglar alarms and insurance to ease our minds, but when it comes to the safety and security of our pets can we say the same thing? Now there is an invention that is the next best thing to an alarm, which is a GPS tracking unit built within a dog collar. This is particularly useful if you have a young puppy, which needs recall training off the lead. It is at this crucial time that puppies tend to run off and get lost. Even more of a concern is the possibility that your dog may get stolen, a fear that is being realised more often for owners who are even having their pets taken from the back garden. The collar can be set up to have “virtual fences” around your house that allow you to be alerted if your pet goes beyond the fence. In addition to this the collar is tamper-proof and will alert you if anyone tries to remove it. If you need to locate your pooch, simply log on to your computer and you will see the location of your pet on a map. These are pretty pricey though with the Retrieva collar costing £249.99 plus a monthly subscription charge. If that is more than you’re willing to spend then the Tagg tracking system is a cheaper option.A concern for all of us is leaving our pets all day long, whether we are leaving them at home while going to work or leaving them with a friend whilst on holiday. It would be nice to have the comfort of being able to pick up the phone and have a conversation with our pet. It is because of this that video is being used to help us keep updated on our pet's wellbeing without having to be at home. The world of video has moved on from simply Skyping, and now there are special collar cameras that constantly send video and can be viewed online by the owner. This way you can see exactly what your pet is up to!
Gadgets that help with getting pets exercise seem to be the area where pet technology has taken off the most. Perhaps this is because these items are cheap, easy to use and actually improve and enhance our pet’s lives. There are now dozens of simple gadgets that owners can utilise when exercising their pet and they aren’t just limited to cats and dogs. The hamster ball is a favourite for all owners of small rodents but the classic ball has been given a gadget makeover with Critter Cruiser. The Critter Cruiser is a hamster ball/wheel within a sports car that can be placed on the floor or on a special track. As your hamster runs the car goes around the floor or the track, but perhaps you won't have any money left for any extras as the car itself costs £20.As we know kittens and cats will chase anything and would probably love the chance to play with the Critter Cruiser! However there is now an invention that allows your pet to have fun even if you aren't there to play with them. The Frolicat Bolt beams a laser onto the walls and floor and moves it constantly, giving your cat something to chase. It costs £20, but how long will it be before you cat works out that there isn't anything really there!Keen golfers will be pleased to learn that they can now test their skills at the same time as exercising the dog. The doggie driver is a golf club with a tennis ball launcher attached. Simply swing the club as you would normally and the tennis ball will be launched off to a maximum of 100 yards.
It is surprising just how many pet gadgets there are that most people would consider completely useless. Of course one person may think that a certain gadget is a marvellous idea where another finds it laughable. One such toy is the pet door bell, designed as an attempt to do away with the cat flap by allowing your cat or dog to press a plastic paw positioned outside the door that then sounds an alert in the house. Although some people may have a use for this the majority would probably only buy as a joke, and at over £25 perhaps not even that.Although there are many ideas that we would turn our nose up at and never consider buying, it has to be said that the future of pet care will probably lie in the world of technology.