Tailio turns your cat’s litter box into a health monitor, sees if cats can predict earthquakes

Tailio turns your cat's litter box into a smart health monitor

By Jason Hahn November 16, 2014

Tailio smart litter box — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Cat lovers: Your kitty’s litter box doesn’t have to be just a dumb sandbox of unpleasant treasures. Thanks to the Tailio, litter boxes can now be turned into smart monitors that tell cat owners about the health of their feline friends.

The Tailio isn’t going to impress anyone with its appearance, since it basically looks like a plain white scale. But place a litter box atop the device and sync it with the Tailio mobile app and cat owners can keep up-to-date on their pet’s weight, waste production, and frequency of visits and behavior in the litter box.

The app tracks trends and alerts a cat’s owner if there’s any indication of health concerns that require attention or if the litter box simply needs cleaning. Information from the Tailio app can be shared with veterinarians to help diagnose any issues.

Cat owners can also use the app to get reminders to give their pets medicines and supplements, if applicable. They can also check symptoms and other resources within the app. There are social features in the app, which enable users to share photos, post status updates and connect with other Tailio users.

The Tailio is also able to distinguish between multiple cats based on their behavior and physical attributes.

Users can download the mobile app for their Android or iOS smartphone and link to the Tailio via Wi-Fi. The Tailio’s battery lasts about 2-4 weeks, depending on how many cats use the litter box atop the device and how often the litter box is used.

The team behind the Tailio also plans to partner with the National Science Foundation to study Tailio-using cats along fault lines in Southern California to see if cats can actually detect earthquakes.

The Tailio’s Kickstarter campaign has raised nearly $60,000, double the $30,000 goal. The project closes on Dec. 12, with initial shipments and the app release slated to take place in April 2015. “Early bird” backers who want to receive the device in April can get the Tailio for $99. The device is also available for $149 via Kickstarter for cat owners who are fine with a May delivery.

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Jason Hahn is a part-time freelance writer based in New Jersey. He earned his master's degree in journalism at Northwestern…

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