Pet owners don’t typically think of themselves as pet owners – they think of themselves as parents. They want the best for their pets, even though they can’t usually be with them 24 hours a day. There are all sorts of options for pet owners, like doggie day care, dog walkers, and dog sitters, but these options aren’t available everywhere, and aren’t always economical.
For pet owners that find themselves needing some automated solutions for their pets’ long days, there is a whole industry of smart pet products available. From monitoring their health to securely giving them access to the yard, there is something out there for your needs. So, when you take your pet to the store to grab food, shampoo, a toys, don’t forget to think about some of these solutions too.
Cameras
Cameras are the easiest and most basic form of monitoring your pets while you are away. The other things I mention in this article are going to be pretty obviously geared toward dogs and cats, but cameras can be sued for any type of pet. While it might at first sound silly to want to monitor your pets using a camera, there are definitely some benefits. You can watch to see if they are displaying symptoms of illness or depression; you can monitor if they are getting enough exercise during the day; you can watch for them to urinate in the house; you can spy on the dog sitter or walker. If you have more than one pet, you can watch to make sure they get along during the day, to ensure that one isn’t being abused.
Feeding Stations
There isn’t a way to even describe the guilt that you feel if you get caught late at work, or get caught in bad traffic coming home, and your pet has to wait to get fed. With a smart feeding station, you never have to feel that guilt again. These devices don’t just let you control when you dispense food – they let you measure the amount of food you serve, and how fast it is served. If your vet tells you that your pet needs to eat less, using a smart device is an easy way to follow their recommendation. You can also easily track exactly how much your pet is using. It’s great to be able to extinguish your own guilt over feeding schedules, but it’s also really healthy for your pet to stay on a schedule. If your pet has a problem with eating too fast, you can control how much is served and how fast it is served to help reduce their bloating.
Door Flaps
Door flaps seem like a great idea on the surface, but there are a few things that would stop me from getting them. First of all, I don’t want other types of animals, like skunks, to have access to my place. I would also hesitate if I had a cat and a dog, as I wouldn’t want my indoor cat to have access to the outdoors. Smart door flaps actually address both of these issues. You can get a flap that only response to an electronic collar. If your cat is near the door, it wouldn’t be triggered to open; it would only be triggered to open when the dog that wears the collar is near. This also keeps out other animals that would be coming from the outside.
These devices only brush the surface of what smart technology is available for pets. What pets do you have, and how do you use smart technology to be a better parent to them?
