There’s a huge arms race in high-tech “solutions” to cat litter, from color-changing litter that can detect disease to AI technology that tracks Fluffy’s toilet habits.
Why it matters: As cat ownership has soared in the COVID-19 era, companies large and small have flooded the market with products aimed at improving pet health and reducing the number one reason people return cats to shelters: litter box discomfort.
Breaking news: That familiar plastic tub filled with clay litter is being turned into an AI-powered hardware/software platform that includes a scale to measure what Tabby’s been doing (and detect if she’s gaining weight), an app that alerts when she’s been doing her chores ( and monitor frequency) and monitored litter that may indicate urinary tract infections or other problems.
“I was one of the beta users of the Litter-Robot app and we got 18 notifications in about an hour,” Zuppke said. “I didn’t know if it was a beta bug or if something was going on with our cat.” (A quick—and probably life-saving—trip to the vet revealed the UTI.)
Also coming soon: Nestlé Purina’s upcoming Petivity Smart Litterbox Monitor System is a $200 scale that sits under your cat’s litter box and transmits data on “solid or liquid litter events,” as Gletzler put it.
Between the Lines: The world of trash and boxes is extremely fraught with controversy, marked by routine dumping over clay litter (potential carcinogen?), closed litter boxes (do you enjoy potty?), and environmental concerns (clay). litter, again).
Yes, but: high-tech litter solutions are far more expensive than a simple cat box—the Litter-Robot 4, for example, costs $650, while a competing offering, the Purrsong Lavviebot S Robotic Litter Box, costs $900.
What they say: “For me, it all comes down to how easy it is to clean the box,” says Kate Benjamin, founder of Hauspanther, a resource center for modern cat products.
Bottom line: Not only have people been adopting more pets since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but they’re also paying much more attention to their animals’ needs and habits.
