Me-wow! A new device that allows pet owners to watch, play with, and even hand out treats to cats via remote control may cure pet separation anxiety once and for all.
The Kickstarter-funded Kittyo connects to a free app, so helicopter cat owners can interact with their pets when far from home. An embedded webcam provides a constant feed of Fluffy’s activities, while a controllable laser pointer gives cats a bit of exercise with the touch of a button. Pet parents can also coo to their cats through the device and give out treats for good behavior.
Lee Miller, the inventor of Kittyo, was struck with the idea while cat-sitting for a friend.
“It just hit me; there’s got to be a way to allow cat parents to interact with their cats while they’re at work or on the road traveling,” he said in a company press release. “Cats are members of the family, so it’s hard for cat parents to simply say goodbye for long periods of time, especially for the 55 percent of Americans who have more than one cat.”
Miller looked to Kickstarter for the funding of his high-tech device, posting his project just three days ago with a goal of raising $30,000 to begin production. But he’s made more than that – much more. Thanks to the support of more than 1,416 pet-friendly backers, the project has over $155,000 in funding already.
“We’re so grateful for all the support we’ve received,” Lee wrote in an update. “Not only did we blow past our 30k goal in the first hour but we’re about to triple our goal in under 24 hrs!”
While the Kittyo isn’t available yet, Lee hopes to send out the first units in November for around $189.