Nowadays, it seems like there’s an app or website for anything and everything. Snarky weather app? We’ve got that. Personal UV toothbrush sanitizer? Not a problem. Need a website that shows wind direction and speed across the United States at any given moment? You’re covered.
Given that, it likely won’t be surprising to hear that there are countless apps, gadgets, and websites that can be used to enhance and simplify the life you share with your furry friend.
Pet sitters and daycare for dogs
Heading out of town and in need of a pet sitter? Busy with work and falling behind on your daily walks with your four-legged friend? There’s an app for that. Apps like Rover and Wag! have been gaining traction in recent years. They’ll help you not only find a pet sitter or dog walker near you, but they’ll also allow you to filter according to your neighborhood, the particular lifestyle that you and your pet lead, and more. Sitters are thoroughly vetted, and the app offers GPS tracking of their walks with your beloved canine. Payment can be made easily through the app, so you don’t have to worry about having cash on hand.
There are even more websites to peruse in search of the perfect pet sitter or dog daycare. Pet Sitters International not only helps you find a pet sitter, but they also educate and support pet sitters in their business endeavors, so you can rest assured that your animals are in good hands. With DogVacay, you can search for someone to come to your house or someone who will welcome your pet into their home. Pet Backer will help you find a place to board your pet in addition to sitters who will come to your house. You can also find options for pet daycares, dog walkers, groomers, and pet taxis that will accept animal passengers. Chains like Camp Bow Wow and Dogtopia can be found in many cities across the United States with user-friendly websites you can search by location. You can rest easy knowing that the franchises provide consistent support with daycares, boarding services, and more.
Pet-friendly travel
The last time you booked a trip, did you start by visiting a travel agent, happily ensconced in their office, surrounded by vintage travel posters, and intricately folded maps? No, probably not. The majority of (human) travel is booked online these days and travel with pets in tow is no different. There are numerous websites centered around travel with pets, all with slightly different offerings. Pet Friendly Travel allows you to search for rental houses and hotels, even dog-friendly restaurants. Go Pet Friendly offers suggestions on places to travel with your canine companion. Trips with pets congregates chain hotel policies on animals in one place, along with an option to search for places to stay along a particular route. Dogfriendly offers state by state guides.
Then there are the apps that make it easy to search while you’re on the road. Paw Parks helps you find nearby dog parks and dog-friendly trails. Dog Land allows you to reach out to local dog owners and keep track of where you’ve been. Bark Happy helps you find dog-friendly events and share lost pet information if needed. Spend a few minutes playing around on these apps to find the one that makes the most sense for you and you’re sure to make any trip easier to manage and more enjoyable in the long run.
Latest and greatest in gadgets
Technology waits for no one and those of us who share our lives with animals are no different!
Video cameras
If you’re looking for video cameras for your home so that you can monitor your animals while you’re gone, prepare to be inundated with options.
- Petcube Cam is an affordable HD camera that allows you to see and talk to your pets when you’re not home. The two-way audio means that your beloved furball will be able to recognize your voice and the wide-angle view means there are fewer blind spots.
- Skymee Petalk AI II comes with night vision and motion detection so that you don’t have to miss a thing. The video feed can be viewed on your phone.
- YI Smart Dome Security Camera X offers 360-degree coverage of a room. It’s able to detect the differences between humans and animals, offers instant notifications of movement, and allows you to store videos with their cloud storage system.
Smart feeding devices
If you’re looking for a smart feeding device, companies like PetSafe and Sure Petcare offer multiple versions, depending on your needs.
- Arf Pets Automatic Feeder allows you to customize the serving size that is dispensed on an adjustable schedule.
- Pet Kit has both automatic feeders and filtered water dispensers.
- Although some brands offer cat- or dog-specific feeders, many are useable for both canines and felines, like Petlibro’s or Cat Mate’s 5 Meal Dog & Cat Feeder.
With a little bit of research, you can find not only the feeder that will work best for your animal, but also the one that will look best in your home!
Wearable technology
Plus, let’s not forget the wearable tech available for your animal!
- The PitPat activity monitor for dogs helps you track your canine’s exercise to make sure they’re staying healthy and fit.
- The FitBark 2 not only monitors activity, but it also tracks sleep to help you make the right health-related decisions for your pooch.
- On the safety side, the Tagg GPS Pet Tracker helps ensure that you’ll always know where your beloved pet is.
- Tractive offers a version that is waterproof and updates your four-legged friend’s location every two to three seconds for peace of mind.
Other gadgets
If you’re enjoying your foray into tech mania, why not take it a step further and buy a self-cleaning litter box or microchip-operated pet door? From top of the line (with a price tag to match) boxes like Litter-Robot 3 Connect to the simpler, less expensive PetSafe Simply Clean Automatic Litter Box, technology makes it easy to put the days of messy litter cleanups behind you.
Bringing peace of mind to your life, microchip-operated pet doors allow you to program what type and which animals can enter and exit at any given time. Sure Petcare offers several different versions, with features like selective entry and exit, electronic override locks, and timer controls. Price varies, of course, between high-end versions like High-Tech Pet Pet Doors and cheaper options like PetSafe Cat Door.
Much as with the plethora of apps, gadgets, and websites geared to making human lives easier, there is a similar amount of options to try for our pets. Take a moment to consider your life with your animal friends and where a little technology might make life more enjoyable for everyone in the house.
The bottom line
Whether you’re searching for the newest gadget on the market or the best app for dog-walking, be sure to always keep your four-legged friend protected with Progressive.
