<p>Every morning I look into the eyes of my 18-month-old cat, Betty, declare my love for her, tell her I’ll miss her, and wave goodbye for the day. I then lock the door and go to the office. This need no longer be a tearful adieu. Thanks to the Indiegogo-funded Petzi, animal owners can check in on their furry creatures anytime, anywhere.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The gadget is a slightly ominous looking plastic box with a webcam. When it is turned on, a pink light shines, accompanied by a chirpy bell sound: the friendly face of surveillance. It can snap pictures, let you speak to your pet, and spit out treats with a crunchy mechanical whir. There’s a nifty night-view mode that makes your pet’s eyes gleam demonically.<br /><br />The box connects to your home Wi-Fi via your mobile phone — some initial hiccoughs about registration numbers are quickly fixed — and can be accessed using the Petzi app. <br />If your friends are sick of seeing pictures of your precious furball on social media, you can upload screenshots on to the app’s garishly coloured Instagram-like board and “like” other pet pictures with hearts (or “Awwws”).<br /><br />At my desk, I occasionally tune into the webcam and repeatedly play the bell sound. No cat. I find an isolated corner of the office and try out the voice function; there’s no response, but I do feel one step closer to becoming a crazy cat lady. <br /><br />The only thing that elicits a response is treats: Betty may be lazy, but she knows the sound of food. I excitedly show the cat to my colleagues, who respond with mild interest and bemusement. <br /><br />The gadget is also a nice idea if you’re far away from a pet: if it lives with your parents or you travel a lot. With adjustable treat levels and an extra element of play, so that not all interaction is food based, it could be a fun way for pet owners to gently stalk their furry friends.</p>
<p>Every morning I look into the eyes of my 18-month-old cat, Betty, declare my love for her, tell her I’ll miss her, and wave goodbye for the day. I then lock the door and go to the office. This need no longer be a tearful adieu. Thanks to the Indiegogo-funded Petzi, animal owners can check in on their furry creatures anytime, anywhere.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The gadget is a slightly ominous looking plastic box with a webcam. When it is turned on, a pink light shines, accompanied by a chirpy bell sound: the friendly face of surveillance. It can snap pictures, let you speak to your pet, and spit out treats with a crunchy mechanical whir. There’s a nifty night-view mode that makes your pet’s eyes gleam demonically.<br /><br />The box connects to your home Wi-Fi via your mobile phone — some initial hiccoughs about registration numbers are quickly fixed — and can be accessed using the Petzi app. <br />If your friends are sick of seeing pictures of your precious furball on social media, you can upload screenshots on to the app’s garishly coloured Instagram-like board and “like” other pet pictures with hearts (or “Awwws”).<br /><br />At my desk, I occasionally tune into the webcam and repeatedly play the bell sound. No cat. I find an isolated corner of the office and try out the voice function; there’s no response, but I do feel one step closer to becoming a crazy cat lady. <br /><br />The only thing that elicits a response is treats: Betty may be lazy, but she knows the sound of food. I excitedly show the cat to my colleagues, who respond with mild interest and bemusement. <br /><br />The gadget is also a nice idea if you’re far away from a pet: if it lives with your parents or you travel a lot. With adjustable treat levels and an extra element of play, so that not all interaction is food based, it could be a fun way for pet owners to gently stalk their furry friends.</p>
