Pet Technology on Rise, Pets Connect with Owners Away from Home

Technology today is becoming broad that it even reached pet needs. These devices help the pet owners to keep their furry friends healthy, safe, happy and connected with them when they are away.

According to Washington Post, pet owners are willing to spend serious money for their four-legged friends and "Pet Tech" entrepreneurs and investors are taking it as a good business opportunity.

Eighty million homes or about two-thirds of homes in the country have pets. The American Pet Products Association stated that American pet owners spent more than $60 billion dollars on their pets last year.

"The number of pets in the world is growing extremely fast and that opens up the market," said Peter Harrop, chairman of IDTechEx, a technology market research firm. "I'm sure five years from now there will be all sorts of things we can't imagine."

Some of the available devices in the market are PetChatz that enables pets to call their owners, the CleverPet where pets can play games and win treats and the Petspeak that allows pets to speak with a human voice.

There is a device that allows the owners to interact with their pets while they are away, the "Petzi Treat Cam." This Internet-connected device allows the owners to talk to their pets, take photos and even dispense treats. It was created by Petzila, a San Jose-based company founded by two veteran technology executives. They also created a social media app where the owners can share their pet's photos.

However, experts warn the owners against relying on these devices too much as more pet-tech gadgets are coming to market and might forget that their pets still need personal care, as reported by Toronto Sun.

"The technology can be useful as an adjunct, a way of enriching your relationship with your pet, but certainly not a substitute for time spent with your dog," said Pamela Wyman, who runs the DogEvolve training school in Oakland.