Pets

A new prototype Companion Collar smart collar is being developed by the CSIRO's digital specialist arm, Data61, and agtech company Ceres Tag that will allow pet owners to track their animal across both long and short distances.

While some dog owners feed their pooches raw food instead of kibble, others have switched to dehydrated dog food. The Spanish-designed Kibus device works with the latter, automatically rehydrating it with hot water and serving it at meal times.

Most futurists probably never saw it coming, but there are now several commercially available robots designed to entertain pets while their owners are at work. One of the latest, known as Pumpkii, features a unique modular design.

A new study has explored how pheromones could lead to more harmonious relationships between cats and dogs, and found that a couple of currently available examples can have a calming effect for pairs of pets living in the same household.

KittySpring is a more sophisticated solution for cat owners with thirsty and clumsy pets, consisting of a gravity-fed fountain that keeps the water supply fresh and uses a stable base to avoid spillage and puddles.

If you're walking your dog at night, in hot weather or for long distances, you sometimes need more than just a leash. That's where the GoGoLeash comes in, as it combines several functions in one device – or more accurately, in two.

Coming home to see your cat still lying in the same spot it was when you left that morning, it’s easy to assume they’re pretty happy with nothing to do. But they do get bored and need exercise. Enter Ebo, a new cat companion robot now on Kickstarter.

​Yes, you're right. GoPro does already make an actioncam harness-mount for dogs (as does Sony, for that matter). The currently-crowdfunding PetNow system, however, offers a few additional features for people wishing to see the world from their canine's perspective.

​Horses aren't like dogs. Whereas the one is always around the house, the other spends much of its time off in a pasture. So, how is a horse-owner supposed to keep track of what their animal is doing? Well, a group of Swedish entrepreneurs believe that their HoofStep system is the answer.

​If you're like most dog- or cat-owners, you don't like leaving your critter at home alone all day. As a result, we've seen several robotic pet-entertaining devices recently hit the crowdfunding platforms. While some feature cameras or treat-dispensers, GomiBall keeps things simple.

​Although it's certainly best if dogs are trained to relieve themselves outdoors, there can be situations – such as if they're left home alone all day – in which they've just gotta go inside. Created by Austin, Texas-based Newton's Box, Inubox is designed to let them do so without any mess.

​If you own multiple dogs and/or cats, then you may be familiar with the problem of one animal "stealing" food from another's bowl. Italian artificial intelligence firm Volta has set out to keep that from happening, with its pet-recognizing Mookkie.