Pet technology covers a whole raft of gadgets and gizmos that can be used daily to help you care for your pet.  

• Microchip cat and dog flaps: these flaps are set up to read your pet’s microchip and will only open when that animal approaches. The flap is locked for other animals that may try to enter the house, while allowing your pets open access to the outside should they need it.  They can be locked if you prefer to keep cats or dogs in overnight and can be programmed for multiple pets 
• Self-cleaning litter trays: weight and motion sensors let the tray know when the cat has left the tray, then the tray will self-clean the litter, dropping the waste into a bag in a compartment underneath. Fully sealed to prevent odours and pausing the cleaning if another cat enters. Some trays have an app will tell you the weight of each cat and let you know if their toilet habits change 
• Automatic feeders: some have microchip readers, so will only open to allow the registered pet to eat. Brilliant if your cats are on different diets, or you have a skinny grazer living with a cat that eats anything that is left down. Other automatic feeders are timer based and can be set to the required feeding times. They either expose a measured amount of food or pour the set amount of food into the waiting bowl 
• Bowls with integrated scales: if you need to weigh your pet’s food as part of a weight loss programme, you could get a bowl with a stand that has scales built in to make feeding quicker and easier. 
• Automatic water bowls: these refill every time your pet drinks and some will filter the water as it is dispensed. Some can record the amount of water that is drunk, so you can monitor your pets water intake. Some have microchip readers so they can be used in multi-pet households. Used with a phone app, they provide a record of your pet's water intake so any changes can be easily spotted 
• Water fountains: cats are hard wired not to drink standing water or drink out of things that touch their whiskers and though some will accept water in a bowl, many do not. Drinking from a full glass or straight from the tap works for some cats but can be tiresome for the owner. A water fountain offers the cat running water and most hold enough water for several days 

• Ball Launchers: automatic ball launchers can be used indoors or out and usually have adjustable angle and length of throw. The dog fetches the ball and drops it back into the top of the machine, then it is fired again, and so on. Many have timers so the dog cannot over-exercise, but if your model does not have a timer, you must limit the time your dog plays to prevent injury and exhaustion. Some launchers have motion sensors and others release a little food when the ball is replaced in the top. The ball size does vary, so large dogs should have a launcher that fires standard size tennis balls, not the smaller ones 
• Fitness Trackers: a GPS tracker and an app of your phone allows you to know exactly where your dog is and has been. It is possible to set a virtual fence and if the dog ventures outside of that area, an alert will be sent to your phone. Some include a speaker so that you can remotely send recorded commands to your pet, calling them back if they are out of voice range. A tracker does not replace microchipping 

• IQ games: there’s a wide range of IQ games designed to occupy your pet and reward with a small treat when the game is completed 
• Mazes: mazes can be used as slow feeders, or you can purchase maze toys which are filled with food and must be moved around by the pet enabling the food or treats fall out 
• Snuffle mats: these are mats with deep pile or layers and patterns of material that form lots of pockets. You can hide dry food or treats in the pockets or amongst the pile fibres that your dog can snuffle for 
• Games with compartments that the pet must access to get the reward: the food compartments have lids that open in different ways – sliders, push button or lift-up 
• Food cubes/food balls: available in cubes, balls, tubes and a variety of shapes and sizes, the food is put into the toy and must be moved around to make the food fall out 
• Robotic mice: these remote-controlled mice will stimulate your cat’s hunting instinct, helping with physical and mental exercise 

• Wifi cameras can help you monitor how your pet is behaving when home alone, allowing you to speak to them and in some cases, treat them as well. Using this along with interactive toys that can be set up before you leave, allows you to give your pet something to occupy them while you’re out 
• Training buttons are available which you can teach your dog to press according to what they would like. You can record words such as bedtime, food, play, wee onto separate buttons and train your dog what each word means and which button to press. Your dog will then be able to tell you exactly what they want,

If your pet is struggling with being at home alone or you are having problems with training, ask your vet about behaviouralists or trainers that they could recommend locally.