8 Tech gadgets for Pets

Pet ownership has become a lot techier. All kinds of gadgets are invented and improved upon these days to increase the quality of life and your relationship with your pets. As a tech expert for the most popular morning show for Latinos in the US, I’m lucky enough to get to review and showcase some of the latest advances to the Hispanic public. Here are some of my latest favorites.

Whistle Activity Monitor: Imagine a Fitbit for your dog and you have an idea of what this device does. This device is placed on the collar and gives pet owners a report of their dog’s daily activity by tracking, classifying and syncing to their smartphones with a visual summary of their dog’s health. Now you’ll know all about your dog’s health and activity and have more piece of mind when away from the house. Coming in at $99, it’s not a bad deal for owners that want to know more.

Dogs need at least 30 minutes of daily exercise and mental stimulation to stay healthy but in today’s hectic world, we don’t always have the time. Enter the iFetch, an automatic ball launcher. This gadget launches a miniature ball allowing dogs to play on their own. You can adjust the distance for 10, 20 or 30 feet, depending on the size of the play area available. The dog just has to place the ball in the launcher and it activates automatically providing endless hours of entertainment. For $99.99 you don’t have to feel as guilty anymore that you didn’t make it home in time to play outside with your pet.

When you are walking your dog in the evening or early in the morning, you might worry that cars and other vehicles can’t always see you. This is not a problem if you are using a Nite Dawg, an LED pet leash that glows bright red. This thing is so bright that you might be confused with a UFO instead. It is as simple as it gets, it’s made from high quality durable nylon, has an 18-inch LED transmitting flexible polymer with 75 hours in glow mode and 100 hours of flash mode, and an easy to replace 3V lithium battery. Measures 5 feet and weighs only 4.9 ounces, coming in at $16.79, it’s an investment I can see many dog owners making.

Doggies can have bad breath and brushing their teeth and tongue is not always fun or easy. The Orapup is a tongue cleaner that helps beat their bad breath by enticing them to clean their tongue on their own. How does it work? It has soft bristles and scrapers that eliminate the bacteria that cause bad breath at their source. Dog parents apply what are called Lickies, which is a gel that provides flavor fortified with natural enzymes that reduce plaque, tartar and fight bad breath. The handle allows you to hold it and not get messy while they lick it vertically, where they can fully extend their tongue. Dogs find it to be a treat so everybody wins. The starter kit costs only $20, not bad at all.

Pet hair is a major problem for many owners, so Dyson came up with a super vacuum cleaner called the DC65 Animal. This thing does an amazing job cleaning carpets and hard floors and it has a special Tangle Free Turbine tool. It’s designed to pick up hair without getting clogged or tangled by providing, according to Dyson, twice the suction of any other vacuum. It uses their Root Cyclone technology with remodeled airflow that allows it to remove more dust, dirt, allergens and of course, pet hair. Dyson owners I know swear by their products. It’s like they are the Apple of Vacuum cleaners. This vacuum doesn’t come cheap at $599, but it’s certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

A dog is lost every 2 seconds in the United States, which is more than 10 million every year. The Tagg is a pet tracker with GPS that allows you to know where your dog or cat is at all times. For example, when the device is activated, you create a perimeter around your house and you receive an alert on your phone if your dog escapes. Tagg also has an app for iOS and Android that provides live GPS tracking so you can see exactly where they are. As a bonus, this device also measures the daily physical activity that your pet is getting. This tracker is normally used on dogs but it can also be used on horses, elephants and the Auburn University mascot, “The War Eagle” has one on his tail. This tracker comes in at $99.95.

OK, let’s face it, nobody, I mean nobody, likes to pick up the poo after their dog. The traditional method has been to wait, bend over and pick it up with a bag using your hands. Triple yuck! Enter the CatchaPoo, instead of waiting for it to drop, the Catchapoo catches it before it hits the ground and presto! It’s incredibly easy to use, lightweight and well built. It extends from 19 inches to 34 inches, can fit multiple size bags and weighs less than one pound. It even comes with an attached LED flash light for those nighttime dog walks. This device has been on the market for only two months and at $19.99, it has the chance to be a big hit.

Last but not least, the Critter Zone. This is an award winning air naturalizer that continually cleans the air by ionizing it and creating a constant flow, using a process called plasma conversion. In other words, plug it in, let it run for a while and those Kitty Litter odors and other pet smells are gone for good. The price is $99.