Pets

Most dogs are lucky enough to get a regular walk in the great outdoors, but cats miss out. Looking like a giant hamster wheel, the Little Cat is an app-driven machine designed to give our feline friends some much-needed exercise – although whether they’d actually use it remains to be seen.

​If your dog has ever taken off on you, then you'll know the frustration of trying to figure out where they've gone. And while there are already pet-tracking devices, they definitely have some shortcomings. The Findster Duo+ system takes a unique approach to getting around those limitations.

In many towns and cities around the world, the end of one year and the beginning of a new one is marked by the pop, fizz and bang of fireworks. Ford has heard the cries of pooches and come up with a kennel prototype designed to block out external sounds and create a quiet zone for anxious canines.

We've been seeing quite a few products lately that are designed to entertain dogs who are at home alone – some of them have been stationary devices, while other have been mobile. The currently-crowdfunding Pupple, however, combines both in one system.

Aquariums incorporate multiple devices that all need to be powered and controlled. A power bar and a timer may do the trick, but the new Felix aquarium system is intended to do it better – and buyers can opt for an underwater webcam that lets them view their fish via an app.

​Training a dog to help the disabled or to sniff out bombs is a complex process, so if you're going to do it, you want to end up with a "usable" animal at the end. A new cognitive-ability test could help determine which canines are going to make the cut, so time isn't wasted on those that won't.

​It can be tough on both you and your pet, leaving them home alone all day. That's why we've seen camera-equipped gadgets that let you check in on and interact with them … but what if the pet isn't in the same room as the device? Well, that's where the VAVA Mobile Pet Cam is intended to come in.

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.

​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.

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.

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.​

​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.