Our pets are members of the family, and there’s nothing better than treating them to a little present. Usually, it’s something to eat, chew, or irritatingly ignore, so how about something that will make them healthier? PetMio, a new Kickstarter campaign launched today, is a range of smart connected products and nutritional food perfect for the tech-loving pet owner to buy Rover the dog or Tiddles the cat.
You may have forgotten about that fitness tracker received as a Christmas present, but that doesn’t mean you can’t force your cat or dog to wear one instead. PetMio’s Smart Tracker tracks physical activity and sleep, and is the heart of the PetMio ecosystem. Cleverly, it’s designed to attach to your pet’s existing collar, and comes in various colors, styles, and sizes. This way it’s suitable for dogs and cats.
The data collected is augmented by more data from a smart food bowl, which tracks your pet’s eating habits, using scales to assess how much and how often food is eaten. All of this information is synced using Bluetooth to PetMio’s app, and analyzed by the Intelligent Nutrition System. It’s here your pet’s lifestyle is examined, and eventually goes into creating a personalized food recipe based entirely on your pet’s needs. It’s not an off-the-shelf food; it’s a custom diet designed specifically around what and how much your particular pet should be eating.
PetMio’s algorithm looks at all the collected data, then matches it with requirements of the breed, taking into account age, behavior, and other nutritional guidelines. The food is 100 percent organic, lists exactly what goes into the food, and comes in pouches measured out in the right amounts. The food is packaged up and sent out on a monthly basis. PetMio’s team includes vets, food scientists, and both hardware and software engineers, so there’s plenty of expertise.
PetMio is sold in bundles for cats and dogs. Early bird prices start at $94 for cats and go up to $240 for large dogs, and packs include the tracker, bowl, and a month of food. To continue receiving the food after the initial month, you’ll have to pay a subscription. For cats this is between $18 and $43 each month, a small dog will be between $58 and $93, while an extra large dog will cost $214 or more.
Pets can be very fussy with food, and luckily the subscription is set up in the app after the trial period, so if they don’t like it, you’re not tied into a long contract from the start. The campaign has a $20,000 goal, and deliveries will begin in April 2018, should it be successfully funded. Pet-tech is popular this year, with everything from location trackers, connected toys, and even smart homes for pets appearing on the scene.
