Pets

For most people, their pet is another member of the family. And just like any other family member, sometimes they need some love and affection, sometimes they need to be fed, sometimes they need some play, and other times they can go wandering and need to be tracked down. On these pages you'll find gadgets and devices designed to meet all these needs and more.

Pets

Felik uses AI to take your pet laser-huntin'

Ben Coxworth October 15, 2018

It's no secret that cats and dogs can get bored when they're left home alone all day, which is why we've seen things such as pet-entertaining robots. Felik doesn't go quite that far, but instead uses artificial intelligence to let your critter "hunt" a moving laser beam.

Previously successful on Kickstarter, Felik is now the subject of an Indiegogo campaign

Pets

Li'l robot dispenses treats to engage home-alone pets

Ben Coxworth September 18, 2018

If you have a dog or cat that stays home alone all day, you likely worry about them being bored and inactive. Well, the Varram Pet Fitness Robot is designed to get them off their butts when no one is around.

Pets

Studio Schicketanz puts sustainable design in the dog house

Adam Williams September 5, 2018

This fine example of barkitecture was designed by Studio Schicketanz for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). It features the kind of sustainable design you'd usually expect to find in a full-size home, including a green roof and solar power.

Doggy Dreamhouse is being auctioned to raise money for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty ...

Pets

Bristly doggy toothbrush lets your hound do the grunt work

Nick Lavars July 10, 2018

The American Veterinary Medical Association says that brushing a dog's teeth regularly is the best way to maintain their oral health, and Bristly is a new tool designed to let them do the grunt work.

The Bristly toothbrush for dogs is essentially a natural rubber toy said to offer a meaty ...

Pets

Dawg Tag is made to keep you from getting a hot dog

Ben Coxworth July 6, 2018

A couple of years ago, Matthew Edwards' family dog had to be euthanized due to heat stroke. This inspired the South Carolina-based engineer to ensure that other dogs not meet the same fate – the result is the Dawg Tag core temperature-sensing harness.

The Dawg Tag contains multiple sensors that measure the dog's body temperature at several locations

Pets

Pot for your pooch: Optimizing medical cannabis for pets

Rich Haridy July 4, 2018

Pet pharmaceutical company CannPal is working with the CSIRO to develop better ways to safely administer medicinal cannabis to a variety of pets. The research is developing microencapsulation techniques to make sure the cannabis oils can be delivered to each different animal precisely and safely.

New research is setting out to find the safest way to dose and administer medical cannabis ...

Pets

Pet-entertaining robot isn't stingy with the treats

Ben Coxworth May 2, 2018

It was just last year that we heard about Anthouse, an interactive robot designed to entertain your home-alone dog. Unfortunately that project got cancelled, but guilty pet-owners can take heart – Mia has hit Kickstarter.

Mia's battery should last for about one week per charge, based on three 15-minute play sessions ...

Pets

Top architects in the dog house for charity event

Adam Williams April 11, 2018

Man's best friend is finally getting some architect-designed digs, courtesy of well-known firms, including Zaha Hadid Design and Studio Octopi. The dog shelters will be sold at auction to raise money for Britain's Blue Cross animal charity.

The DW Kennel was designed by Denizen works, Cantifix and Arrant Land. It holds 2,000 tennis ...

Pets

Just what your cat wants – its own flush-toilet

Ben Coxworth November 24, 2017

If you have a cat, chances are that you don't like cleaning out its litter box. Well, that's why the Catolet was created. It's basically a conveyor belt-equipped automatically-flushing toilet that's made for cats – or tiny litter-trained dogs.

The Catolet may just be the cat's pyjamas

Pets

Paws for thought: Architects design weird and wonderful cat shelters

Adam Williams October 30, 2017

Every year, Los Angeles-based architecture firms build cat shelters to raise money for FixNation: a non-profit organization that aims to reduce stray cat populations through spaying and neutering. It's an opportunity to see architects have some fun with designs for a good cause.

"UnFURled is cat architecture designed to balance adaptability and graphic form," says Perkins + Will