Technology is increasingly present in our lives: refrigerators that warn us when a product is about to expire, toothbrushes that warn us when we have cavities and make an appointment with the dentist or alarms that are managed from the cell phone. Digitalization is changing our lives, but what about our pets?

Dogs, cats, fish or birds are no strangers to the Digital Transformation that is being implemented in our lives. After all, they are an important part of them, so why shouldn’t they enjoy the benefits of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence or GPS?

Smart collars, automatic feeders, game and training apps and even social networks have been designed specifically for pets, making life easier for owners and the health of pets, which we can now monitor on a daily basis and even set sports and calorie goals.

This is the case of the Whistle Go Explore collar, which works in a very similar way to the human smartwatch. We can define goals in the app such as calories burned, distance walked, active minutes… all set according to the breed, age and weight of our pet, monitoring the information in real time. We can actually see where they went, who they were with and for how long, with a detailed chronological breakdown of the day, including time spent running, playing, walking, napping and more.

Not to mention the GPS function, which allows you to monitor in real time where your pet is using Google Maps. A good option for all those who always wanted to know where their cat is when it disappears from home.

GPS devices start at very low prices, about 40 euros per necklace if we are only looking to geolocate our pet. It is not too far-fetched to think that in the very near future, losing our pets -a bad pill to swallow for anyone- will only be part of the past or the heritage of the very absent-minded. Today, a GPS collar, a phone and a SIM card are enough to locate your dog or cat at any time.

Pet feeders are a separate chapter. Not only do they provide just enough food when he’s away (no more leaving a full plate and relying on luck when you have to spend the day out), but you can also watch him eat.

This is the case of Petwant, a dispenser that releases the amount of food selected by the user at the programmed time or at the moment it is ordered from the cell phone. It incorporates a camera and a microphone that allows the pet owner to call his pet to eat, and observe how he does it to stay calm. Other options, such as Petnet, in addition to supplying food, inform about the nutritional needs of each animal according to its weight, breed, age and activity level thanks to a database.

Social networks for pets

And although our pets – it seems that technology is not going to be able to fix this – do not know how to read, they do not have to be strangers to social networks, or to the advantages they can provide them. DoggyBnB is a network of dog sitters, inspired by the famous AirBnB. Doggy Talky connects pet owners with their pets and Fitting Pup, oriented to veterinarians, functions as a health advisor.

Last but not least, there are all the entertainment options that technology provides for pets. From the iFtech ball launcher, to the CleverPet console for dogs, to applications such as Felik or Frolicat, which act as a human (playing with a laser pointer) when we are busy.

And no missing pets. If they don’t know how to use Skype we can always use PetChatz, a device with a camera, screen, microphone and speaker that allows the owner and the pet to see and hear each other. “It is,” they state on their website, “a complete interactive experience with video chats, calming, aromatherapy treatment and brain games.