We told you about some iPad games your cat could play, now Friskies is introducing a game you can play with your kitty.  With the Friskies You vs. Cat iPad app, you flick the on-screen playing piece toward the goal.  If Kitty catches it, she scores 10 points; if it goes in the goal, you score 10 points.  First one to score 50 points wins the game, and the game score is added to the World-Wide Leaderboard.  The point of the game isn’t to dominate your cat or get them overly excited, but to encourage gentle interaction.  Friskies reminds you, too, that the iPad’s glass screen should hold up to claws, but a plastic screen protector won’t.  You Vs. Cat is free in the iTunes App Store.  Go to the Friskies You vs. Cat website to learn more and to see the Leaderboard update.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Gaming app, Pets

Go Head-to-Head With Your Cat with Friskies Latest iPad App originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 19, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

Keep the towels in the linen closet. Your answer to fast drying your wet dog is finally here.

I’m not crazy about most do-it-yourself dog grooming products because most of them are long on promises and short on delivery. And they’re expensive.  For that kind of money, I can just take my pooch over to PetSmart and let them do what they have to do.  I have a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and for anyone who knows anything about herding dogs, they shed.  A lot.  A really BIG lot.  So they need to be brushed regularly and groomed more often than say… a poodle.

Because I don’t always have the time or money to take him to the groomer’s or because I just took him to the groomer’s,  a home bath is in order.  That means a wet dog in a wet tub with water everywhere and using up just about every towel in the house.   Soggy Doggy Productions have come to the rescue with Soggy Doggy Super Shammy.

During really rainy days, my Corgi LOVES to play in puddles.  The muddier the better.  I don’t know if this is an evil plot to get back at me for not petting him 24/7 or giving him cookies on demand, or what.  But if there’s a puddle, a feral cat, or a set of water birds, my dog is off to the races.   And every one of those scenarios means it’s bath time.

You might remember that I reviewed the Soggy Doggy Doormat  - which, frankly, is a Must Have for ANY pet owner as it soaks up water, rain, snow, dirt and Heavens know what else up to five times more than any rug or towel.

Super Shammy takes all of that to a new level.   Instead of just a rectangular sheet of toweling, Super Shammy has pockets sewn in the corners to put your hands in to give you more control over the drying.  The chenille nubs on the outside soak up water faster than any terry cloth towel will.  And I should know.  Corgis have this cottony, fluffy undercoat that Never. Seems. To. Dry.  EVER.  It’s met its match with the Soggy Doggy Super Shammy.  My dog also thoroughly enjoyed the nice massage he got while I was drying him with the shammy.  It never seemed to get…well… soggy either.  And my dog didn’t mind me drying his paws, and this is a dog who does not like to have his paws messed with.

Super Shammy has pockets sewn into the corners to provide better drying control.

Super Shammy is made of chenille-polyester-polyamide blend which makes it machine washable and machine dry-able.  But here’s what I don’t like and that’s the deep blue Marine color of the sham.  I don’t need my shams to be deep dark colors.  The instructions on the shammy require me to wash this separately and quite honestly, I don’t have time or the quarters to wash a doggy shammy separately.  I think the color is really cool and it stands out,  but it’s a shammy to dry my dog off.  This deep dye is really not necessary… I’m cool with a neutral color that can be washed with other neutral colors and that would not require a separate washing. To be fair, the Super Shammy just wasn’t all that soggy feeling after I got done with it, and I threw it into the dryer to remove the water and excess hair.  It came out clean and fluffy and fine.  So, depending how much dirt or debris you’re sponging off your dog, you might be able to skip the wash cycle in certain circumstances.

Soggy Doggy Super Shammy boasts a superior construction.  No loose threads, solid, strong seam work, no holes, nothing to come loose.  It’s well made, and I’m a big fan of solid construction.  At $19.99, it’s not going to break the bank either.  I’ve seen more expensive items that did less, and this is a good deal.

My only other gripe is that it does not appear that you can find Soggy Doggy products anywhere but online, and that’s really a shame because these products need to be everywhere.  Even my In-laws like my Super Shammy and they know a thing or two about dog grooming; they raise and show standard poodles.  They work the dog show circuit.  And a pickier bunch of dog product reviewers never existed, and THEY dig the Super Shammy.

Dogs like the nice massage from the chenille nubs on the fabric.

This is a superior dog grooming product.  It’s a Must Have.  It’s a perfect stocking stuffer for your dog-loving or just animal-loving pals. It’s got one or two cons, but they’re not deal breakers and honestly I’m giving Soggy Doggy Super Shammy a Christmas Gift Thumbs Up.

Filed in categories: Pet Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: pet grooming, Pets

Soggy Doggy Super Shammy Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 2, 2011 at 2:00 pm.

We should all know the importance of staying hydrated when we’re in the great outdoors – especially this summer with the crazy high temps nationwide. But what about man’s best friend? Do you make sure stay  hydrated too when you’re enjoying nature? The H2O4K9 helps you do just that. It’s a water bottle that has been designed especially for your dog. Available in 9.5 and 25 oz. capacities, the H2O4K9 is made of stainless steel with a BPA free plastic lid shaped for your dog’s drinking style. The bottle fits in a vehicle cup holder too. The H2O4K9 comes in several colors and is priced at $17.95 – $19.95 depending on size.

[Via Gear Patrol]

Filed in categories: News, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Pets

H2O4K9 – A Water Bottle for your Dog originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2011 at 4:30 pm.

You’ve probably seen those cloth neck coolers for bipeds and I bought one for my dog last year but of course it would not stay on: you have to tie it like a scarf and with one swoop of his paw my dog could strip if off faster than the Gentle Leader.  The people variety is also pretty bulky and heavy when filled.  This Cool Collar looks like a good alternative since it has a built-in clasp and comes in three sizes: yip, Bark, and WOLF.  From $7-$10.

Via 7Gadgets

Filed in categories: News, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Pets

Keep Fido Cool originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 4, 2011 at 11:00 am.

If you have a dog, you have stood in the rain with him while he does his business. No big deal for you, if you have an umbrella, but what about Fido? If you want to avoid wet dog smell, get your pooch his own umbrella – the Dogbrella. It’s a 29″ diameter canopy (think inverted umbrella) with a short leash connected in the center. It’s designed for dogs up to 15 lbs. and less than 24″ long and costs $29.95. I bet Rihanna has one for her dog!

[Via Likecool]

Filed in categories: News, Outdoor Gear, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Outdoor, Pets, Spotlight Gadgets

Fido can stand under my Dogbrella ella ella ay ay ay originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 25, 2011 at 8:30 am.

Humans were too lazy to get up off their bums to change the channel on the TV, so the remote control was invented. We were too lazy to go to the library so eBook Readers were invented. Now we’re apparently too lazy to play ball with our dogs, so the Fetchtastic was invented. The Fetchtastic is a battery or AC powered tennis ball launcher that will keep your pooch busy for hours. Fill it with small or standard sized tennis balls and it will automatically launch one every 7 seconds from 12 to 24 feet. If you train your dog to insert the ball back in the caddy, it will never run out. I have to say that this would have been a perfect gadget back when my Corgi was still living. She would play fetch till I got tired of throwing the ball and wiping the slobbers off my hands. The Fetchtastic would be a great toy for people with dogs that need to run off a lot of energy. It comes in either AC or Battery powered versions and is priced at $149.99.

Filed in categories: News, Outdoor Gear, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: dog, Pets, Spotlight Gadgets

Fetchtastic – Automated Fetch for Dogs originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 14, 2011 at 12:44 pm.

I think I saw a bumper sticker once that read  ”Dogs have owners; Cats have staff”.  This is certainly true in our household and one of the staff functions I least like to do is clean the litter box.  The folks at Scoop Free think they have the answer with their Ultra Scoop Free Self-Cleaning Litter Box.  Will automation make the process smell and mess free?

The Ultra appears to be an updated version of the original Scoop Free that Julie reviewed in 2006.  They’ve added a privacy hood, variable cleaning cycle adjustment and a counter that tells you how many times your cats have gone.  All this extra for only $40 more.

What you get with the device is the mechanical scooping unit, a disposable litter tray with a bag of blue crystal litter, a power adapter and the privacy hood.

If you take a closer look at the litter tray you will notice that it seems to be sitting in another box.  That is actually the lid you put on when you throw the litter away.

The setup was simple.  I poured the litter into the tray, dropped the mechanical apparatus on top of the tray and plugged the unit in to an electrical outlet.  I was all ready to go and only need two more things…..

The cats.  Jessie and Jeremy were going to be my test subjects.  They are both mature indoor/outdoor cats that are very familiar with a litter box.  So, I removed their normal box and waited. And waited.  After 3 days I was getting worried because the box hadn’t been used and the cats were looking at me with a pained expression.

I went to the Scoopfree web site to see if they had any ideas how I could convince my cats to use the new box.  They did, so I took a small amount of litter from the cat’s old box and sprinkled it in the ScoopFree box.  I also removed the privacy lid.

Well, that didn’t work and I was getting worried that the cats were beginning to hate me and I’d have to do a review without actually having used the product.  I gave it one more shot because I left the cats no choice.  We were going on a 2 day trip and the cats wouldn’t be able to go outside while we were gone. 

Yes, during the 2 days they used the box 8 times as is indicated by the counter.  Now that the cats have accepted their new toilet facilities, I can make some judgements about the usefulness of the product.  Also notice in the photo above that there is an indicator for minutes.  This is the delay time which can be set to either 5, 10 or 20 minutes for the rake that scoops the litter after an animal leaves the box.  I have no idea how this would be useful.

The device does as advertised.  The rake pushes the solids under a lid and eliminates the need for manual cleaning.  The premium litter absorbs liquids and neutralizes any odor.  After the box is full, which is 10-15 days recommended for 2 cats, it’s as simple as lifting the device up from the disposable litter box and using the cover to enclose the litter and throwing the whole thing away.

The question is; how much are you willing to pay for convenience?  In my case the consumables (replacement litter boxes) are $15 each and that’s $30 per month compared to the $10 I spend buying premium litter now.  Also, I’d have to add the cost of the device, at $179.99.  So, my first year cost would be approximately $540.  Subsequent years would be $360.  While doing research for this review, I found the Ultra ScoopFree available on sale from Petco for $79.99, so I could reduce the first year cost.

I’ll be reverting back to my old method of manual litter box and daily cleanings.  I cannot justify the cost, but for some people it might make sense.  For example, we have a friend who had to give up her cats because she has a compromised immune system and the Doctor told her not to clean a litter box.  With the ScoopFree, maybe she can get her pets back.

Filed in categories: Pet Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: Health, Pets

Ultra ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litterbox Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 3, 2010 at 12:55 pm.

I wanted my dog to actually write the review for the Shapoopie trial period we experienced, but he kept misspelling all the words and it was hard to read.  Example paragraph he typed:

uy 7KL&:& ypr9e9yha; 7hjksbjkaa Hag;]    ]a;48*(&*38848kjkkjmnmn        mnnkljkljhg3s

So I let him draw some of the illustrations instead.

In short, the  Shapoopie ($24.95) is a collapsible poo catcher.  You carry it with you on your walks and, when the time comes, extend it and position it so that your dog makes his deposit in the Shapoopie’s catcher cup.  The cup’s liners can then be disposed of.  Like a lot of gadgets I’ve reviewed and liked, it’s a niche but nice contraption.  It helps me avoid lower back pain when otherwise bending down to scoop up the little gifts with a plastic bag.

So read on to see if you think this niche is up your alley. . .

Tour of the Hardware

As mentioned, the Shapoopie has a telescoping handle (“telescoping” as in collapsible, not telescoping as my stupid sis– er someone who preferred to remain anonymous said “how come there’s a telescope on it??”).  This makes it convenient to carry by hand or to tuck away in your car or on a hook next to your dog’s leash.  It’s made of aluminum so it’s very light weight.

No not that kind of telescoping !

Telescoping arm and liner in the cup

The primary business end of the Shapoopie is the receiving cup which is lined with a specially designed disposable liner.  The liner has a well-fitting lid that keeps the contents secure through the remainder of your walk.  It (the liner) also has an indentation so that it fits snugly into the cup.  This aspect is a little difficult to see in the scream shot below, but if you look toward the rear of the liner you can see the shadow.  This is actually a very important point since it helps keep the liner in place after it has been used but before your walk is complete.

Close up of the receiver cup and liner.

Shot of the cup from the bottom -- looks like a mask from "Silence of the Lambs". I haven't quite figured out the purpose of the cleats on the bottom of the cup, but I would guess that they help keep it in place on wet grass.

Cup with liner installed

Another key point of the cup attachment is that it is actually angled slightly away from the extension pole which allows it to fit a little better under the uhm,  … well under the depositor.  As with a lot of products, this is a very subtle but important feature.

The cup is angled slightly downwards from the extension pole.

At the end of the rod are two slightly bowed protrusions which look similar to a set of antlers. You’d probably think (“oh, leftover from the tooling mold”), but once you actually use the Shapoopie their use becomes obvious: they help close the extension rod without having to touch the cup. This not only makes it easier to close the rod, but also prevents icky encounters if your dog is a little too messy.

Rear of Shapoopie -- note two extended, slightly concave processes.

Extra nice feature -- finger grips to help in collapsing the pole.

In summary, the device has a lot of thought put into it.  Julie and I had commented how many products, if they just had some slight tweakage, could be so much better, and I have to say that this is one of the better thought-out and executed gadgets.

Tour of the Software

Heh heh, just kidding.  That would be gross.

Shapoopie In Actual Use

So the hardware is well designed and executed, how is it in actual practice?

Well, first, you don’t want to take this thing out the very first day that you get it in the mail (ahem), watch your dog like a hawk for the right moment (ahem), fling it open in a wild flourish (ahem) and then thrust it excitedly under the hot spot (ahem).  As Bach shows in his illustration below, that doesn’t work so well.

hOw kuM she pUT daT tHing unDer mY bUm ? aND i no liKE peeples waTcH me wEn i hafTA poo AnD nO likE skweRlS what LAff aT me eetHEr

The official recommendation is to keep the Shapoopie fully extended for the first couple of walks so that your dog does not get spooked when it is extended.  It’s also not wise to jump or chase after him waving the pole like a lunatic trying to catch the uhm, products, as this will also tend to spook him.  Ahem.

You really have to get your dog accustomed to it first.  After skeering the Bach out of his wits with my initial enthusiasm on my first outing, I decided to acclimate him to it by putting liver treats in the liner.  It actually took a few days for him to come near it but eventually he lost his fear of it.

Place a bone in the cup to help get the Bach used to it. (The Bach moves fast.)

In our tests, the liners were easy to install and, after several deposits (ahem), I closed the lid and was able to walk with the collapsed Shapoopie without any “incidents” (i.e. the liner flying open and . . . uhm other stuff flying around).   I tend to be very oblivious so I didn’t pay any attention to where the cup was in relation to the ground.  And that’s as it should be: the Shapoopie stayed shut after I closed the lid.   I placed a few videos at the end of this article demonstrating this capability.  In the videos, I used plumbers’ putty as a fling tester product.  I also swung the Shapoopie a bit harder than I had ever done so in actual use, so the video tests are a little aggresive.  (Plumbers’ putty is also, by the way, much more dense than the actual “product”.)

The only issues I ran into were due to me not paying attention and therefore missing the opportunity, and the tendency for the Bach to take off running at the end of his cycle, thus again causing me to miss some of the … stuff.

So I have nothing negative to report about the product.  I talked to the chief designer about some possible froo-froo enhancements, and he said that each of the following had been considered but rejected in order to keep the price of the Shapoopie down.  Here are the ideas we had thrown around:

• A built-in flashlight. (The Bach and I often walk at O’dark:thirty in the morning and a light would help hit the target.)  This would actually be pretty easy to add on with some duct tape or a snap-on device.
• An umbrella-like push button to automatically extend the rod (and yes I AM the laziest person on the planet).
• An articulated angle for the handle to alleviate wrist tension.
• A fork-like attachment to act as a partial scooper after a “miss”.  (I think this, too, would be fairly easy to cobble on, I might try this trick and report back.)

Finally, I just had to try using a plastic bag in the cup rather than one of the official liners, the results are shown below.  Although the bag may work, I don’t think it would be as secure when swinging the rod along while walking.  But it’s an option.  The holes in the bottom of the cup allow the bag to be partially pulled through and thus secured a little.

Lining the cup with a grocery bag (front)

Lined with grocery bag, from rear

Summary?  Good, solid product, well-thought-out, works, very nice for those of us who have chronic back issues.  Takes a little time for the other participant to get used to.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Here are a few videos showing how the official liner stays in place (for the most part).  As I mentioned, the ‘tests’ herein are much more aggressive than you would normally encounter during a walk.  I can attest that they never failed me during walks with the Bach.  (And I’m also one of the most oblivious eejits on the planet.)

(NOTE: THESE ARE BOTH SWF FILES)

Video Sample 1

Video Sample 2

Filed in categories: Pet Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: Pets

Two Tails Up: Shapoopie Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2010 at 6:33 pm.

The Smart Chime wireless doorbell from SmartHome has a push button for people, as you’d expect, and it also has a special paw-shaped doorbell trigger for your pet.  You’ll hear a musical chime when the door button is pressed.  You can set the pet trigger to “dog” to hear a bark or to “cat” to hear a meow when your pet activates his doorbell button.  You train your pet to trigger the paw-shaped button to alert you when he needs to go out or when he wants to come back in.  (The paw trigger is safe for outdoor use.)  All three pieces are battery operated, and the triggers can be placed up to 100 feet away from the chime unit.  The Smart Chime wireless doorbell is $35.99.

Filed in categories: Home Tech, News, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Doorbell, Pets

Smart Chime Wireless Pet Doorbell originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 25, 2010 at 3:00 pm.

Your pets are now able get their groove on without the fear of hurting their fuzzy little ears. Pet Acoustics announces the My Pet Speaker, a sound system designed to support the special hearing sensitivities of dogs, cats and horses. Our pets can hear frequencies that are much higher and lower than what our own ears are capable of hearing. Sounds outside an animal’s normal frequency range can startle or cause them discomfort. This speaker features an Omni directional speaker which broadcasts the music in 360 degrees recreating how animals hear in nature. It also limits frequencies and features a soft bass design for listening comfort keeping frequencies within the comfort range of your pet’s hearing. My cat Max doesn’t seem to mind it when I crank up Big & Rich while I’m walking on the treadmill, but if you want to protect your furry buddies, the My Pet Speaker will be available in March for $249.95 through Amazon.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Pets, Speaker, Spotlight Gadgets

Pets are audiophiles too originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 10, 2010 at 11:18 am.

Here at The Gadgeteer, some of the cat fanciers on the team have reviewed four different automated cat litter gadgets. First there was the ScoopFree, then the CatGenie, then the CatGenie 120 and just recently, the Litter Robot. Each one of these systems have their good points, but they all require you to purchase consumables for them. Either litter, cleaners or both. I have no problem dealing with that, but am wondering if any of you ever consider training your cat use your own toilet instead of a litter box? If you’re not completely grossed out by the prospect (like I am), you might want to consider the Litter Kwitter system. Warning, there’s a video as soon as you hit their site.

Filed in categories: News, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Pets, Spotlight Gadgets

Forget the litter box, let the cat use YOUR toilet originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 11, 2010 at 12:28 pm.

Do you ever get tired of saying “sit” or “stay” to your pooch? Now you don’t have to because the Digital Ultrasonic Voice Recorder Dog Trainer from Uxsight will do it for you. It’s a handheld device that can record up to 8 commands and play them back at a touch of a button. If your dog gets sick of hearing your voice, you can use the built-in ultrasonic feature that will play 8 different ultra high frequency tones (heard only by dogs) instead. You can fetch one (sorry, couldn’t resist) for $27.69.

Filed in categories: News, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Pets, Spotlight Gadgets

Make Fido Sit Without ‘Saying’ a Word originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 8, 2010 at 12:18 pm.

Do you ever wonder what your cat or dog does while you’re at work?  Clip the Pet’s Eye View camera to his collar and get an idea of what he’s been up to while you’re gone.  The camera can take photos at 1, 5, and 15 minute intervals.  It can record up to forty 640 X 480 photos.  Transfer the pictures to your PC or Mac – and charge the camera – using the included USB cable.  Now you can confront Fido with photographic evidence when he tries to convince you it was the mailman who chewed up the sofa cushions!  The Pet’s Eye View camera is $49.95 from Solutions.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Digital Camera, Pets

Pet’s Eye View Camera originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 7, 2010 at 10:54 am.

I own two cats, Wylie (who behaves as though he’s the Pharaoh of Egypt) and Hammy (given to me by a homeless person) who is a spaz.  I love cats.  I also like dogs and I have two of those as well. But one thing I hate is cleaning up after my cats.  I have indoor cats; I’m not one of these pet owners who let their cats out into the neighborhood to do what it is cats do in my neighbor’s yard.  For years, I’ve used clumping litter because it was easier to clean out than the clay stuff.  Then came Litter Maid. Litter Maid is an electronic, automatic litter box cleaning system that sweeps clumps after sensing that a cat has been there.   The problem with Litter Maid and automatic litter box cleaning systems like it is that they’re too noisy, bulky and even messy.   I ended up giving away my Litter Maid and was resigned to scooping up the messes of my felines.  I have researched other automatic litter cleaning systems but they had little more to offer than the original Litter Maid.

Now comes the Litter Robot Automatic Self Cleaning Cat Litter Box from Automated Pet Care Products Inc.

This device stands heads and shoulders above every other automatic litter box or any system that dares to call itself an automatic self cleaning litter box.  This device redefines the basic design of the litter box itself.  Dome shaped, the litter box sits on top of the waste drawer.

Top Dome and Waste Drawer Platform. The dome sits atop the waste drawer.

Once your cat enters the dome, does what it is supposed to do and then steps out, the dome rotates after seven minutes, sifts the waste out into the drawer beneath the dome and then returns the cleaned litter and rotates upright.   Absolutely no mess, seriously no fuss and next to no noise.  This device makes little or no noise and, unlike the Litter Maid and its counterparts, there is very little overspill of litter. The only litter you should see is what your cat tracks out.

In addition to the cleanliness and convenience of this device, for dog owners, there is an added bonus.  Anyone who has ever had cats and dogs together in the same home knows that dogs favor this thing I like to call “kitty roca”.  I think we all know what I mean by that.  With a traditional litter box, hooded or not, there’s really no  way to keep your pooch from sampling the kitty roca.  Up until now, we’ve had to use baby gates to gate off the “cat area”; the area where they eat, drink and have their litter box.  Since the holding area of Litter Robot sits up on top of the waste drawer platform and the opening is large enough for a cat, the angle to get at the litter is very difficult for all but the most determined dog.  We have Corgis and they’re not fond of Litter Robot.  Also by the time they can possibly figure out how to even poke their heads through the opening, the seven minutes are up and Litter Robot begins its cycle. The slight noise and movement should be enough to scare off any dog from wanting to stick their face in the area.  I love it.  My dogs hate Litter Robot.

Cats have reputations for being finicky animals and it’s never a smart undertaking to move or change their litter box.  My cats are creatures of habit and heartily dislike having their routine of eat, drink, groom, go to the litter box and 18 hours of beauty sleep interrupted.  They want what they want, when they want it.  Even if it means getting their paws underneath my bedroom door and rattling the door against the frame (I have a historical house with old wood floors) at the unseasonable hour of 5:25 am to wake me up so that I might nobly serve them their breakfast.  Messing around with their litter box prompts them to show their displeasure by using my bathtub for their nefarious schemes.  I think we all know what I am talking about.  Litter Robot is prepared with a handy instruction manual filled with tips for the event that your cat might sniff around the new Litter Robot but not necessarily accept it as their new “Place of Business”.

When it happened that my cats would sniff around Litter Robot but not venture forth, I read up on the handy tips, utilized their suggestions and my cats are now happy Litter Robot users…although Hammy bolted from the room when the Robot begans its rotation cycle.

One of my favorite features is the waste removal drawer.

Litter Robot platform and waste removal drawer

This drawer is easily removed and comes with special notches that you pull the edges of plastic trash bag liners through to hold it taut.  When it comes time to empty the box, you just pull up the plastic liner and toss.

Plastic bags/liners pulled through notches and held taut to catch falling waste. A benefit of Litter Robot is that you can use just about any type of plastic bag to line the waste drawer and it's easy to install.

Another added benefit of Litter Robot is that there are no “special exclusive liners” to purchase… you can use small bathroom trash bags; I use the plastic bags I get from the grocery store (make sure there are no holes).  Litter Robot also works with almost any clumping litter although the wheat based litters like Swheat Flushable Cat Litter and pellet type litters do not work well with Litter Robot.  The unit comes with a complimentary bag of clumping litter but the instruction manual encourages you not to use it if your cats are already familiar with a particular type of clumping litter.

The website (http://www.litter-robot.com/) details how Litter Robot (which we affectionately nicknamed Robo-Kitty) works including a very cool animated bit.  You can adjust the sensitivity based on your cat(s) weight or just manually cycle the Robot yourself.   Adjusting the sensitivity of your cat is one area that I have discovered is a little hit or miss with Litter Robot.   If the sensor does not register that a cat has entered and done its thing, the Robot will not cycle and you will be required to manually cycle the Robot yourself.  Owners of kittens and cats that are typically lighter weight or smaller framed are not candidates for Litter Robot.  Kittens and small sized adult cats are too light in weight to trip the sensor.  If you have a medium or larger cat and a kitten and the larger cat has recently used the Robot, you run the risk of the Litter Robot activating its rotation cycle with a kitten still in the dome as the kitten’s weight will not register.

As with everything pro there have to be some cons.  Litter Robot has some cons.  The first con is the Customer Service number of Automated Pet Care Products, Inc. which sells Litter Robot.  There is a toll free number on the instruction manual and on the website but no one actually answered the phone the two different times that I called.  I was prompted by an automated answering voice to leave my name and phone number with assurances that someone would get back to me.  In an economy where most people hit the “Forget It” button when presented with a situation where they have to rely on a customer service individual to get back to them, this is just bad business in my book.  Nine times out of ten, the CSR calls back at an inopportune time.  My Litter Robot unit did not cycle automatically despite my adjusting the sensor to the highest mode of sensitivity.  I have to manually cycle the unit each time I go into the room to feed my cats.  This is twice a day.  This is no real big deal to me.  It’s no extra effort to manually cycle the machine.  All I do is press a button and off it goes.  But the unit is advertised to be automatic and either our cats are under the 5lb weight mark needed to trip the sensors (not the case with Hammy) or the sensor isn’t tripping properly. Some individuals MIGHT have an issue with the sensor having a glitch, I didn’t.  I press a button, it does all my dirty work.  I’m not complaining.  But to give Litter Robot a fair shake, I plan to keep on contacting the Customer Service Department to work out the sensor glitch and will report on that in a follow up review.  They even provide an email addresses for various customer issues.

Another con could be the price. At $349.00 for the Expanded unit which I have and $329.00 for the Original unit           ( $289.00 and $269.00 for reconditioned units), Litter Robot is pricey compared to other automatic self cleaning litter boxes that are on the market.  But the company promises a 90 day money back guarantee if you just can’t get Mr. Kitty to use it and an 18 month warranty.

It's a very tall box that Litter Robot comes shipped in.

In my book, the benefits of Litter Robot far outweigh the high price.  Litter Robot eliminates the smell, the mess, the inconvenience and the trouble of a clumping litter box and the trouble of cleaning a cat box period.  You save money on litter, you save time by not having to scoop so often, the waste removal is a breeze, and you can recycle plastic grocery bags to use in the waste removal drawer. You can’t beat the stink elimination either.  No one coming to your house would ever guess that you have cats.  Compared to its noisy counterparts, Litter Robot does make a quiet noise when cycling but you’d have to be in the room to hear it.  It’s nowhere near as loud, raucous and obnoxious as the less expensive and clumsy self cleaning boxes on the market.  Sensor lights on the front panel also let you know when the Robot is full, cycling or ready to go.

My cat Hammy poses with Litter Robot. Actually we had to hide around the staircase for a good ten minutes to get this photograph.

I cannot say enough great things about Litter Robot.  I would like to criticize the price, but it’s more than worth it.  My only wish now is that the Litter Robot company would make a unit for dogs.  Then I’d be set!

Filed in categories: Pet Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: Litter box, Pets

Litter Robot Automatic Self Cleaning Litter Box Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 5, 2010 at 8:22 am.

Here’s a last minute gift idea for the dog owner on your list. It’s the PupLight lighted dog collar. Full press release after the jump. The collar is adjustable to fit dogs of all sizes. Attached to it is an LED flashlight that is powered by 3 AAA batteries. I’m sure it would come in really handy for those after dark dog walks. You can fetch one for $19.95.

Santa Has Rudolph’s Red Nose to Guide His Sleigh at Night

PupLight^® Guides Dogs and Their Walkers on Safe Walks After Dark

Chicago – (December 9, 2009) – With the shorter days of Winter now upon us, many dog owners amusingly wish that they had Santa’s Rudolph reindeer with his “red nose” to safely navigate slick sidewalks, cross dangerous intersections, and to be more visible to motorists who may not see them and their dog companions when it it’s dark outside and the weather turns foul.

Most would agree that carrying a flashlight is not the best option.  A flashlight is not only cumbersome to carry, but most flashlights do not provide much illumination.  PupLight^® as just the answer, and makes the perfect unique gift for any dog lover who is safety conscious and who walks their dog after dark.

Highly-acclaimed, PupLight is a one-of-a-kind illumination device designed specifically for canine safety.  Night-time safety concerns of dog lovers have finally been answered with PupLight.  In fact, PupLight is brighter than traditional flashlights.  Powered by three AAA batteries, PupLight “lights the way” with three powerful LED lights that pierce the darkness for blocks.  This handy and affordable safety device is only $19.95 and comes with a two-piece, adjustable band, which is easily worn by dogs of all sizes and breeds.

According to Jackie Simoni, inventor and president of CPA Systems, PupLight addresses a serious threat for dogs that all too often suffer trauma injuries or death when hit motor vehicles, heart-breaking accidents that soar dramatically in winter months.”

“As a life-time dog lover I developed PupLight to fill a void in pet industry,” said Ms. Simoni.  “Based on customer testimonials, we know that PupLight provides peace-of-mind for dog lovers.”  She adds, “While we are still educating the public about how vital pet visibility at night is, we have also forged ahead with the development of NekLight™, a companion product for kids and people of all ages.”

“NekLight, which is also $19.95, can be worn around the neck of hunters, hikers, runners, and others, and provides an added layer of protection for dog walkers at dusk or after dark,” said Ms. Simoni.  “Together, PupLight makes a dog visible, and NekLight makes the dog walker visible to traffic, and allows the dog walker to see ahead, and spot potential hazards.”

About PupLight^®

PupLight is constructed to serve as a rugged, water-resistant safety device, which features three ultra-bright, white, wide-angle, LED beams of light that shine several yards ahead.  With three AAA batteries, PupLight is an affordable safety device, and comes with a two-piece, adjustable band, which easily slips over the dog’s head, snaps on, or it can be attached to an existing collar or harness.  PupLight also comes with a fur guard for dogs with longer hair, and the device can be adjusted up or down to provide the best visibility for dogs of all sizes.  Besides it’s obvious safety benefits, PupLight makes it easier to find a dog when outside after dark, assists in “cleaning up” after pets in the dark, helps scare off wild animals such as coyotes, and assists older dogs, as well as dogs with failing vision.  For more information about PupLight, visit http://www.PupLight.com, or call 1-866-PupLight (787-5444).

Filed in categories: News, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Flashlight, LED, Pets, Spotlight Gadgets

Turn your dog into a flashlight with the PupLight originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 11, 2009 at 9:04 am.

I will be the first to admit that I’m a crazy cat lady. Between my partner and I, we have three furry feline “kids” – Princess is around ten years old, Sumi is roughly four, and Ninja is the kitten at a year-ish. Yes, I have a kitten named Ninja. And she lives up to her moniker, let me tell you.

Anyhow, three cats means lots of…presents. Constantly. So when Julie offered to let me review the upgraded model of her CatGenie, the CatGenie 120, I jumped right on it. What could be better than a gadget that keeps me from ever, ever, ever having to scoop my kitties’ “gifts” again?

This review is going to deal with the kinda-maybe-sorta delicate topic of feline bodily functions. If that makes you squeamish, you may want to pass. Otherwise, let’s see if the CatGenie gets its money’s worth.

I remember someone telling me about the CatGenie a couple years ago. The basic gist of the device is that it takes away your need for scooping litter with the press of a button -  a fully automated cat commode that scoops and washes the box, complete with hookups directly into your home plumbing. Pretty good idea, no?

The first CatGenie had some shortcomings – specifically, the cartridges of cleaning solution. They cost $15, and like an inkjet printer cartridge, simply stop working after exactly 60 flushes. As Julie put it to me, “60. No more, no less.” The CatGenie 120 tries to remedy this problem by adding a “Cat Activated mode”, which detects when a cat is in the box and runs a shortened cycle ten minutes after the cat has left – this doubles the amount of flushes from 120 (which is already double the flush count of the original CatGenie) to 240, which isn’t too bad in my book.

CatGenie also decided to do their part in “going green” – the new cartridges are made of a biodegradable plastic that breaks down in about a year.

What’s in the box:

• The CatGenie bowl and base
• Computerized processor module
• “Hopper cover”
• Plastic scooping arm
• One starter box of granules
• One refill box of granules
• One CatGenie 120 cartridge
• Instructions
• Self-repair kit
• Two T-adapters for your plumbing

I like that the plumbing hardware was included, and that they included an extra box of granules for refilling the CatGenie. Of course, for the price, I think that these kinds of “extras” are kind of necessary.

There is also a “tuxedo” package available that includes add-on higher side walls, a covered dome for kitty privacy, and extra cleaning solution and granules.

Getting everything set up:

I wasn’t certain that the 10′ water supply and water drainage hoses would be long enough for the laundry configuration in my apartment – fortunately, it was enough. We have a closet with a stacking washer/dryer in our home, and connecting the CatGenie was pretty easy. The box includes t-adapters for both a toilet and a washing machine water supply, so it was simply a matter of unscrewing the washer’s supply hose and adding the t-adapter.

The drainage hose required a little more work – there’s a plastic bezel bolted to the wall behind my washer/dryer with a hole for the washer’s drainage hole. This wasn’t big enough to take the CatGenie’s hose too. However, this was a great excuse for me to whip out my Dremel and sand away a bunch of plastic. Let me tell you, the smell of burning plastic is great. However, it got the job done, and I even remembered to wear protective eyewear – my OSHA training finally paid off!

Once the hoses were connected, all we had to do was fill up the bowl with granules, snap in the cartridge, and plug it in. Fortunately, the cord uses a standard ungrounded polarized plug, so getting an extension cord for it wasn’t a problem (the outlet in our closet is strangely behind the washer/dryer and about five feet up the wall).

As instructed, we ran a test cycle when assembly and hookup was done. We turned on the water supply, and…SPLAT! Water sprayed out from the back of the CatGenie all over the wall! It turns out that the plastic nut securing the water supply hose to the back of the CatGenie had been cross-threaded. It took some muscle, but we were able to remove the nut and properly attach it.

I’m not a fan of expensive products having problems like this. The way I see it, if I’m going to shell out over $300 for a CatGenie, I expect the quality control to be better than, say, a $1.50 litter box from Wal-Mart.

One thing worth noting about the above picture: as you can see, there are granules everywhere on the carpet surrounding the CatGenie. I ended up purchasing the higher side walls you see in the photo from CatGenie for $22 shipped. I hope they help (they just arrived a couple days ago), but at the very least, shipping was very fast after I placed my order online.

The cats were pretty interested by this point, and so were we. It’s fairly straightforward:

• The mechanical scooping arm comes down into the spinning bowl, picking up any poo that comes into its scoop.
• The arm pulls back up into its standby position, dumping the poo into a hopper.
• The sanitizing solution is deposited into the bowl, and the arm comes back down both to be cleaned and to mix up the litter.
• The hopper’s pulverizer turns on, liquefying the poo (yum!) and flushing it away through the waste hose.
• The bowl drains, and this cycle repeats two more times.
• A heated blower comes on and dries the granules.

All in all, the full cycle takes around twenty minutes. The noise isn’t terrible – it’s about as loud as a dishwasher during the pulverization cycles, and the rinsing cycles are about as loud as a washing machine’s fill cycle. It’s nothing we can’t tolerate, even with the CatGenie practically being in our hallway.

Configuration

The CatGenie has a somewhat confusing control panel on top of the computer processing unit. Once you figure it out, it’s easy to use, but you’re going to need to read the manual in order to get everything working the way you want.

I set up “Cat Activated” mode after the cats got used to the CatGenie. It seems to do what it’s supposed to – it runs ten minutes after one of the cats gets in the box, unless the sensors on the processing unit detect another cat using the device. There’s a ten-hour sleep cycle so that it doesn’t run in the middle of the night, too, which is really nice.

The “cat acclimation period”:

CatGenie provides a handy guide on how to best convince the always-stubborn cat to adopt the CatGenie. I was a little worried about this – Sumi’s had a history of using the carpet as a litter box when she feels the real box is too full for her dainty paws, and Princess, being much older, might have a harder time adapting to such a big change in her environment.

Ninja, on the other hand, already thinks the CatGenie is the coolest thing ever. She sits there and watches the entire rinse cycle, including putting her front paws on the edge and trying to stick her head down the hopper to see what’s happening to her “presents”.

We started out by not leaving the old litter out at all. Ninja took to using the Genie for Number One (Commander Riker, anyone?) pretty easily. Sumi seemed to as well, but she decided that our office was a better location for Number Two. This was pretty easily solved – we took her poo and put it in the CatGenie, and put her in the CatGenie with it. She got the idea pretty quickly, or so we thought. In the past two weeks, she’s taken to pooing elsewhere, usually in the office or the hallway. It’s easy to clean up, but frustrating nonetheless.

Princess, on the other hand, has not been so easygoing about this change. She started using our bedroom as a litter box without telling us, which resulted in a ten-minute hunt to find the source of the suspicious poo smell. Hint: it wasn’t coming from the litter box. One very revolting load of laundry later, and we stuck Princess in the bathroom with a box of regular litter and some food and water. She used the litter overnight. The next night, we decided to try a litter box filled with granules. She used a towel left in the bathroom instead. Finally, after two nights of “holding it”, Princess used the litter box to do her business. After another four or five nights of being allowed in the house during the day but locked in the bathroom at night, Princess started using the CatGenie to do everything. There’s just one small problem – Princess is an enormous cat, and CatGenie is an abnormally small litter box. So far, there has been one instance of princess getting in the box but failing to navigate her tushie in the box as well, which ends up with her poo on the carpet instead of in the box. At least her intentions are pure!

What they don’t tell you on the box:

There’s a secret about clumping cat litter – it deodorizes. The CatGenie, on the other hand, uses plastic granules, which most definitely do not deodorize. At all. Ninja has a tendency to have pretty pungent trips to the litter box, and it’s been even worse with the CatGenie. Now, our apartment is pretty small, and the CatGenie is in an open closet (we removed the bi-fold door for easier access) directly across from both the bedroom and the office. Needless to say, we run the CatGenie immediately after Ninja’s been in it.

I’ve also noticed that some smaller poos end up slipping through the grill of the scooper, which means that they generally end up getting dissolved in the three rinse cycles of a standard (non-cat-activated) cleaning cycle. This makes for some truly disgusting water swirling around in the bowl before it drains. If any poo is left in the bowl after the rinsing is done, you’ll know it – a heated blower dries the granules, and it does a great job of accentuating any poo residue left in the bowl.

I think a big part of these problems is that we can’t put the CatGenie in a bathroom or laundry room where we can close the door and/or open a window. Our bathroom is too small to accommodate it, so the laundry closet is our only option. Fortunately, our friends at Lysol created Neutra-Air, which does a pretty good job of dealing with the odors. Burning scented candles helps a lot, too.

Ninja’s been known to exhibit some rather odd behaviors in the past – she’ll find a random spot on the carpet and start scrabbling at it wildly, spinning around on her front paws as she tries to capture some invisible monster on the floor. Unfortunately, she’s taken to doing the same thing with the CatGenie before actually doing her business – she digs around in the litter for an inordinate amount of time, and the noise is beyond annoying, especially when she does it at 5:00 in the morning. I’m not sure if she’ll chill out over time or not. At least we get plenty of warning before she contaminates the air in the hallway.

The conclusion:

I like the CatGenie. It definitely stinks more than a regular litter box, but the candles-and-Lysol method has helped minimize this. I wouldn’t recommend watching a full cycle if actual poo is involved; it might make you puke. I would definitely recommend putting the CatGenie in a room with a door if at all possible, to offset the sights, sounds, and smells.

I really like that they added a cat-activated mode. Not only do you not have to try and guess the number of flushes per day (for the programmed mode) or manually flush the box, but it’s far more economical due to the fact that this mode doubles the amount of flushes in a single cartridge.

I also like that the CatGenie is meant to be user-serviceable. It comes with some extra parts if anything needs to be replaced, and every component is user-accessible aside from the processor unit, which would have to be entirely replaced in the event of a malfunction.

I do wish that there were some options for the scoop. The arm is fully detachable from the CatGenie, and it would be nice if I could buy a scoop that has smaller holes – I’ve had to go through the cleaned granules and pick out little pieces of poo that slipped through the scoop – yuck!

I’m also unconvinced that the CatGenie’s bowl is really big enough for cats of all sizes. Princess weighs around sixteen pounds and is quite the little heifer of a cat, but I’ve encountered cats bigger than she is. I can see why she has problems keeping her business in the bowl; she practically takes up all of it with her body! It would be nice if CatGenie offered some sort of larger bowl option that works with the processing unit I already have. I’m betting that’s the most expensive part of the entire product, so I’d be willing to spend $40 or so on a bigger litter bowl.

I’ve never sat down and calculated how much I spend annually on cat litter, but I think that in no more than eighteen months the CatGenie will pay for itself. $329 seems pretty hefty, but it’s definitely better than buying cat litter every three weeks for the rest of my life.

I would recommend getting the Tuxedo Package if your cat’s a digger. The side walls look pretty handy – I ended up ordering a pair, because Ninja’s digging kicks a lot of granules onto the floor around the CatGenie.

My biggest complaint, however, is that it appears that the SaniSolution adds a tacky coating to the granules, which results in them getting everywhere – and I mean that. We end up finding granules in our bed, our shoes, on our desks, and even as far away as the kitchen and living room. I’ve read online about some different options for replacing both the SaniSolution (for the CatGenie 60 model that Julie has) and the granules (which can be done with both the 60 and 120 models). I may try some other material options for the granules, simply because the granules, at $25 a box, are going to be pretty expensive over time.

The CatGenie website and Cat Acclimation Guide both insist that it’s more than likely your cat will adopt this device after some amount of time, so giving up too easily and going back to litter is a bad idea. Now that we’ve (almost) convinced all three of our kitties to use the CatGenie, here’s hoping they’ll keep using it for years to come!

Filed in categories: Home Tech, Pet Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: Pets

A Kitty Commode?!: The CatGenie 120 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 23, 2009 at 9:57 am.

For people who are confused as to whether they have a hamster or a goldfish, the aptly named online retailer Opulent Items has constructed the Labyrinth Fishtank to help address this growing problem.  They’ve designed a  community of six tanks connected by tunnels for fish to swim through.  Honestly I really can’t imagine my little Betta being too jazzed about the idea of six full rooms to choose from; he’s more than happy to nestle inside the little cave within his (single) bowl.

So this looks pretty nifty and you want one, right?   Be prepared to fork over $6,500.  That kinda puts the price tag of a biOrb in a new perspective.  The full package includes the table (which hides the less aesthetically pleasing filtration equipment and lights), acrylic tanks, plants, filters, pumps, cleaning tools, and the company will even help you install it.  The system is also available without the table for $1,000 less–making this option practically a bargain!

Filed in categories: Pet Gadgets

Tagged: fish tank, Pets

The Disneyland of Fish Tanks originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 31, 2009 at 9:06 am.

The American Red Cross teaches first aid classes so you know how to help people in emergency situations, but I’ve never heard of a first aid class for pet care.  Do you know what to do if your cat or dog is injured or becomes ill?  I certainly didn’t.   Luckily, our dog Teddy hasn’t needed a lot of  emergency care – yet.  We live about a quarter-mile from Teddy’s veterinarian’s office, so we could get him there quickly if he’s injured during office hours.  We live about 5 miles from the closest after-hours clinic, so we might need to know how to care for him as we get him to the vet in that case.  I found an iPhone app that has exhaustive information about pet first aid.  It’s called Pet First Aid by Jive Media LLC.  The content of this program was developed by PetTech of Vacaville, experts in pet first aid and pet emergency preparedness training.

The application is a large one – almost 52 megabytes.  It’s worth the space on your iPhone or iPod Touch if you have a cat or dog.  At $3.99, it’s more expensive than most apps, but it’s worth it for peace of mind.

First, a note about the graphics before we start discussing the program.  Instead of photographs, I’m using screen captures obtained directly from my iPod Touch.   I thought the screen captures are ultimately more readable than my photographs would be because there is no glare obscuring parts of the screen.  In some cases, I’ll use a thumbnail instead of a full-sized capture.  Just click on the thumbnail to enlarge.

There are three types of information in the application.  They are Pet First Aid, Pet Info, and About.  Of course, About is the typical copyright, version, and legal information and needs no discussion.  We’ll explore the other types further.

There are many categories in the Pet First Aid option.  Not first on the screen, but What’s Normal is of primary importance.  Unless you see something traumatic happen to your pet, you may not be aware he’s ill or has been injured.  It’s important to know what is normal for your pet, so you can make his veterinarian aware of any physical changes or behavior changes when you take him in for care.  This section describes what’s typical for cats and dogs and  teaches you how to perform various physical checks to determine what is normal for your dog or cat.  Pictures and drawings accompany the text to teach you how to check your dog or cat’s pulse rate and other vital signs, and short video clips are used when necessary to better explain the test.  They warn you when you may need more help learning to perform a test yourself.  For example, they warn you to ask your vet to teach you to safely check your animal’s temperature.  They also discuss what behaviors and changes in behavior you can describe that might help your vet diagnose your pet.

In the Disaster Preparedness category, you’ll learn to how assemble a first aid kit for your pet.  Many of these items would be found in a normal “human” first aid kit, but other items are pet-specific.  In addition to gauze and tape, you’ll need something to trim away or shave hair in your kit, a muzzle, and an extra collar and leash.  You may want to include an Elizabethan collar (a cone).  There is a list of medications for use after you consult your animal’s vet.  You’ll also learn how to prepare a disaster kit for your pet – food, water, and other supplies.  And did you know you should also include a picture of you with your pet to help you prove ownership if you get separated?

In Fundamentals, you’ll learn tips to help you recognize illness and how to give medications.  You’ll learn how to prepare an injured pet for transportation and how to keep both your pet and yourself safe while doing so.

Then there are the categories no one likes to think about – until they are vitally important to the life of your pet.  You’ll learn how to perform CPR, how to treat cuts, burns, and broken bones.  You’ll learn how to help your animal who is suffering with more severe injuries, such as head and spine injuries, as you transport them for medical attention.  Again, there are pictures, drawings, and videos to help you learn to do these properly to give your pet her best hope of survival.

The benefit of this program is that you can read through it before the information is needed so that you have supplies on hand and a general idea of what needs to be done.  Because it’s on your iPhone or iPod Touch, it’s easily portable so you can keep it with you and use the step-by-step instructions to guide you if you ever need them.

The Pet Info category helps you manage all the information you’ve been collecting about your pet.  You can set up an entry for each of your pets.  For each, you will track his name, gender, age, and size.  You can store a picture of your pet; click on it to enlarge it.  (You’ll notice I need to change Teddy’s picture to include me!)  You can enter the location and phone number of your veterinarian and emergency clinics.  You list your pet’s identifications, such as tracking chip type and number, AKC number, and others.  List her vaccination types and dates, medications routinely taken, and any allergies and other conditions.

Finally, there is a place for notes where you can list identifying marks and characteristics, or the behavior traits that you have learned that are important.  For example, a couple of years ago we took Teddy to the after-hours clinic because he was shaking his head and wouldn’t stop.  Of course, he had stopped this behavior by the time we reached the clinic, but they kept him over-night and recommended we take him to his regular vet for observation the next morning.  When we dropped him off there, we reminded Dr. Murray that Teddy is very shy and nervous – not at all a typical Shiba Inu.  When we picked him up that afternoon, Dr. Murray said Teddy would shiver so much when she’d take him out for exams during the day that she would have though he was having seizures if we hadn’t reminded her of his nervousness.  That reminder probably saved Teddy from the trauma (and us from the expense) of a lot of tests and perhaps medications that he didn’t need.  I’ve made notes of that type of information to remind me to relay it to the vet if I’m not thinking clearly in an emergency.

I think this application is one of the very best that I’ve purchased for my iPod Touch.  I hope I never need to use it!

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: iPhone App, Pets

Pet First Aid Application for iPhone by Jive Media LLC Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 3, 2009 at 8:00 am.

Now for something that I doubt any of you thought you’d ever see… It’s a Sasquatch pet bed that looks like a ginormous plastic shoe. It measures 31 inches long x 14 inches tall x 14 inches wide and as an easy to remove / wash fleece lining which they call a sock. Fido better start saving pennies because the price for this bed is $99.95.

Filed in categories: Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Pets, Spotlight Gadgets

Crazy pet bed that looks like a giant Crocs shoe originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 30, 2009 at 6:05 pm.

When I was a little kid, we had a really large fish tank that I would sit and stare at for what seemed like hours. My Mom had all sorts of health problems, so we didn’t have the tank for long before my Dad got rid of it because it was too much to take care of. Later in my teens, I got the first tank bug and set up a small one in my bed room. That didn’t last too long either when I would wake up in the middle of the night and step on a fish that had flopped out of the tank. Somehow I had managed to pick two types of fish that hated each other and would ‘fight’ to get out of the tank. Who knew?

Today I happened upon the biOrb Aquarium and am wondering if I should give the fish thing another shot. This fish tank is made of acrylic, with a built in filtration system. Just add water and the fish and  you’re all set. The price is pretty spendy though at over $200. I could eat a lot of fish dinners for that!

Filed in categories: Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Pets, Spotlight Gadgets

biOrb Aquarium – Fish in a cube originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 12, 2009 at 8:23 pm.

Whether you have a mutt or a supposed pure bred, The DNA Breed Identification kit from Viaguard, Inc. will show you which breeds your pooch has descended from along with possible genetic health concerns and personality traits. They send you the kit for free, but the processing will cost you $71 and some change. If you’re not interested in your pet’s family tree, this company provides human DNA tests as well… including some non-standard ones that allow you to send in some pretty freaky items for testing.

Filed in categories: Pet Gadgets

Tagged: DNA, Dogs, Genealogy, Pets, Spotlight Gadgets

Check your dog’s genealogy with a DNA kit originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 2, 2009 at 10:19 am.

The next time that Fluffy or Spot decides to run away from home, you’ll be one step ahead of them if they are wearing a SpotLight GPS pet locator around their neck. This product to provide GPS real-time PET tracking and 24/7/365 dedicated recovery service through a partnership with American Kennel Club Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR). Setup allows you to create safe spot areas. If your pet wanders out of the area, you’ll be notified via your cell phone or email.  A rescue button located directly on the collar will connect the lost dog with the recovery team and owner. The product and service are set to launch later this month.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: GPS, Pets, Spotlight Gadgets

Track your rogue pets with a SpotLight GPS originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 15, 2009 at 12:02 pm.

Cats make great pets because they don’t require a lot of attention like dogs do. Just give them a bowl of food and a pan of litter and they can pretty much take care of themselves. The only down side to having an indoor kitty is that we humans have to clean their ‘toilet’ for them. Not fun… Today Judie of Gear Diary and I are going to tell you all about the CatGenie. It’s an alternative to the traditional litter box. Will our cats love it? Will we love it?

My comments are in Black and Judie’s are in Blue italics.

I’ve had cats as pets since I was a kid. Back then they were always outside pets that would only come indoors to eat and play, but would go outside to use the bathroom. When I grew up and moved into my own house, I still had a cat, but we fixed a bed and litter box in the garage for them. That is until a few years ago when I was away on a business trip and came home to find that Jeanne had brought the litter box inside so that Max wouldn’t be alone. Of course he never went back into the garage after that and I ended up being the main cat box cleaner. Yay… not.

I’ve also had cats as pets since I was a kid, and they were always indoor – outdoor cats as well. Since mom or dad always took care of the litter box, I never thought about how much trouble it could be to keep up with one properly, until I was a young adult. That’s when I had to contend with my cat Groucho’s box, which as much as I loved her, was definitely a buzzkill. After finding out that the “summer colds” I had always suffered from were actually a massive allergic reaction to cats, I had to give her away.

Fast forward to two years ago, when I threw caution to the wind and allowed Sarah to bring home the charming Miss Avah. The conditions were that Sarah would give Avah weekly baths, and that she would maintain the litterbox. As if! The duty soon fell to me, but since Avah had completely stolen my heart, I didn’t mind too much.

As soon as I get home every day after work, my first task is to clean the cat box. We use clumping litter, which is messy and dusty. My 15lb cat Max (we think he might have some Maine Coon blood in him) is a real slob. Most days there is more litter on the floor than in the cat box. So I have to also sweep up the litter with a broom and a dust pan. I suppose this chore isn’t THAT horrible, but it can be time consuming and it’s just icky.

I had the opportunity to try the ScoopFree litter box several years ago and found it to be an improvement over traditional cat boxes. But it was still messy and required me to clean out the ummm…. nuggets every few days, so it really wasn’t THAT much different from a regular box. I know you’ve tried other cat boxes too, what did you think of them?

Avah was fairly young when I was able to ditch her basic litter box and replace it with a Litter-Robot I’d been sent to review. Not only did she take to it like a fish to water, I was thrilled with the fact that I no longer had to scoop! The one caveat was that once a week I would have to pull out the drawer and remove a bag full of “doody”, but compared to daily scooping, using the Litter-Robot was nothing short of easy street.

Jenn from Pocketables was the first person to tell me about the CatGenie after I had reviewed the Litter-Robot, but there were a couple of things which kept me from really considering one. The CatGenie has to have access to a water line for cleaning and disposal purposes and to an electrical outlet, but the way my bathroom and laundry room at the San Angelo house were set up, installing one simply wasn’t feasible.

After Kevin and I had begun renovations on our new house in Eldorado, it quickly became evident that there would be extra space in the utility room. About that time, both Julie and I were offered CatGenie review units. Coincidence? I think not.

Package Contents

CatGenie cat box and associated parts
2 Boxes of washable granules
2 SaniSolution cartridges
Installation instructions

The CatGenie can be installed one of two ways. Either in the location where you have your washer installed, or in a bathroom.

Space is a major deciding factor when setting up the CatGenie; the CatGenie is fairly large, as you can see in this diagram…

Neither of our new home’s bathroom’s were properly laid out for an unobtrusive installation, so the utility room was our only real choice. From reading information on the CatGenie site, I also knew that it would be my preferred location, because utility room installation offered true automation with no human interaction. You see, when the CatGenie is installed using a washing machine’s cold water supply line and drain pipe, there is nothing to manually remove after the device has worked its magic; the waste is automatically flushed into sewage, or in our case – the septic system.

As luck would have it, Kevin’s brother Mark is a plumber. All I had to do was hand him the boxes, and when I returned the setup was complete (like magic!).

Installation isn’t that difficult, however. The only tool that you need is a pair of pliers to attach the larger T-Adapter.

The only change from the installation shown in the photos and the paperwork that accompanied my CatGenie was that you should not attach the hook to the Genie Drain Hose anymore; instead, the CatGenie’s drain hose is to placed directly inside the laundry drain, next to the washing machine’s drain hose.

The black hose is my washing machine's drain; the ribbed off-white hose is the CatGenie's drain, and the smooth white hose is its water supply.

After attaching the water line and the drain hoses, all that’s left of the installation process is adding the supplies (which Julie will talk about in a moment) and then plugging in the CatGenie.

Since Max’s litter box has been located in the spare bathroom and my washer / dryer was in the basement, I went with the bathroom install. I was worried that he wouldn’t adjust to going to a different location very easily.

Installation in a bathroom requires the smaller T adapter. You have to add the fitting to the water line coming into your toilet. While it’s not difficult, I didn’t want any surprises, so I had Jeanne’s brother Dusty (who is a plumber) come over and do it for me.

Before installation of the T adapter

Hook up requires you to turn off the water to your toilet and install the smaller T adapter. It took Dusty less than 10 minutes.

After installation of the T adapter

The White hose is the water supply line. It connects to the CatGenie and provides water to fill the bowl where the washable granules are located.

The Beige hose is the drain hose. You attach the flexible drain hook to the end of the drain hose and place it over the edge of the toilet. This is where the waste water from the CatGenie will drain. It’s up to you to flush the toilet.

The only steps left to setup the CatGenie are to snap in a SaniSolution cartridge and pour the washable granules into the bowl.

A scented cartridge was included with our kits, but they are also available unscented. I think the scented version smells pretty good, especially since it only gets activated when the cleaning cycle is running, but it bothered Kevin.

The cartridge and granules are the only consumables for this product. Each cartridge should last for approximately 60 flushes of the CatGenie and the granules never need changing. You just need to add some to the bowl to always keep the level at the fill line.

In the month+ that we have been using our CatGenie, I have only had to top off the granules once.

I’ve not needed to add any yet.

Unlike conventional cat litter, the granules don’t have dust that you breath in (yuck). They look like tiny pieces of uncooked pasta. These granules are not absorbent and are cleaned during the washing process.

Allow me to digress for just a moment. That the granules are not absorbent is both good and bad: good because the granules are reusable; nothing gets wasted, poo doesn’t stick to them, and they are economical in their own way. But I also think that they are bad because they aren’t at all absorbent. This becomes especially noticeable if you have uncarpeted floors…you will see kitty paw prints leading away from the CatGenie, and that’s not mineral water allowing their creation.

I’ve not had this issue yet because for some reason Max doesn’t dig in this box. He just does what he needs to do and hops out.

The cartridge easily snaps into the top of the unit. The CatGenie alerts you when there are only 10 wash cycles left. Next to the cartridge slot is the control panel. There are just two buttons that you use to set the cleaning cycles.

The idea here is to watch your cat and see when he or she is usually asleep; once you’ve decided a certain time is safe, you need to be at the CatGenie to press the Auto Setup button. When you press it, successive Daily Cycle’s numbers will light up. If you want the CatGenie to only operate once a day, you’ll hit it once; for two times a day you tap it twice, and so on. I have only Avah, so once a day has been more than enough. If you have an extremely potty-prone kitty or more than one cat, you’ll want to set the box to clean more often.

The CatGenie site says that “one CatGenie works best with 2 to 3 cats of average size.” If you have more than three cats, then you might need to get another CatGenie. This device is also “best for kittens 6 months and older,” probably because it would be a bit of a climb for a small kitten.

I should mention that since there is no clock, just a timer, the cleaning cycles will run in either 24, 12, 8 or 6-hour intervals – all based on the original time that you set during the Auto Setup.

With that said, if you ever need to run the CatGenie an additional time on any particular day, you can hit the Start Cycle button and the CatGenie will get busy.

I wish that the CatGenie had an automatic mode that would start the cleaning process 5 minutes after the cat hops out of the box. After all, it does have the sensors to know when a cat is in the bowl. It uses them so that it won’t start the cleaning process while the cat is inside. It doesn’t seem like it would be that difficult to add that feature.

It probably wouldn’t be that big of a deal to add such a timer, but I think the reason that there isn’t one is because cats will go to the bathroom several times a day, and it takes so long to do a full cleaning cycle (never mind the cost of the SaniSolution). Since Avah is an indoors only cat (she’s declawed, after all), the litter robot would be going off ten times a day, if it were touch sensitive like the Litter-Robot was.

I have not been setting the CatGenie to run at different times during the day. I press the button to start the process manually. Especially now that it’s warm weather and Max is outside most of the day. I find that he isn’t using the box all that often, so I don’t want to waste any of the SaniSolution.

Yeah, that’s partly why I am running the CatGenie only once a day; I figure that way I can get two months out of the SaniSolution cartridge. See? I can be frugal!

The  cleaning process takes a little less than 30 minutes from start to finish. The bowl start spinning and the slotted scoop will extend down into the bowl to collect the cat poopies and drop them into the hopper. Liquids automatically drain into the slots in the bottom bowl.

This process is a bit startling and loud the first few times! Water will just start entering the basin, and it sounds similar to a washing machine starting. There are various stages of operation which all have their own crazy sounds…

The bowl spins both clockwise and counterclockwise.

It does this process three times and shakes the scoop to make sure that as few granules as possible are also flushed.

It makes these crazy clicking sounds when the scoop is shaking itself; the first time I heard it, I thought something was broken!

During this part of the cleaning operation, there is a lot going on that isn’t immediately evident. In case you were wondering, the cat poo isn’t sent through the tube into the sewer or septic intact; it is first ground up and liquefied – hairballs and all, so that nothing harmful can clog your drain line or mess with your septic system. The entire basin is also thoroughly washed and sanitized with the SaniSolution; when the cleaning process is over, it’s like you have a new CatGenie again!

Then the bowl will fill up with water and the slotted scoop will sift the granules around to clean them in the SaniSolution. Finally, hot air will blow the granules dry as the scoop aerates them.

It’s at this time that the scent from the SaniSolution becomes really evident. It doesn’t smell bad, but it smells more like a State Prison than a field of flowers Right!

This is another reason why I manually kick off the cleaning process… it is pretty loud. Max’s bathroom is not far from my bedroom. The cleaning cycle would definitely wake me up if it happened in the middle of the night. It’s as loud as a washer or an older dishwasher.

Exactly! This is definitely not a process that you would want running in the middle of the night; I made that mistake once, and the next day I made sure to reprogram.

I was worried that it would take Max a long time to become accustomed to the CatGenie and actually use it. I know that it took him forever to finally try the ScoopFree catbox. The instructions that came with the CatGenie suggested that you should leave the original cat litter box in the same room and not clean it. That the cat would finally go to the CatGenie instead because it was cleaner. I could only tolerate that for about 2 days before I just took the old box out of the house and told Max that he either had to hold it or use the new box I caught him at one point sitting on the toilet seat looking down at the CatGenie in either confusion or annoyance. He didn’t go to the bathroom at all for 24hrs, but he finally got a clue and used it. Yay!

When I first looked at the instructions, I nearly panicked. Avah was coming from using the Litter-Robot, and there was no way I was going to set that up in addition to the CatGenie. I thought about it for a minute, and realized that when she was a kitten, all I did to potty train her was put her in the box and help her scratch at the litter; she immediately got the concept, and has never had an accident. So when it came time to use the CatGennie, I didn’t even give Avah the opportunity to be finicky.

When we moved into this house, I put the Litter-Robot in storage (just in case she hated the CatGenie), put her in the CatGenie’s bowl, swished her paw in the “litter”, and walked away. She didn’t go immediately, but in a few hours Kevin nudged me so that I could catch Avah doing her business. YAY!

Besides not having to deal with cleaning litter clumps out of a box, the other great benefit that I’ve noticed is that there isn’t a ton of cat litter on the floor after he’s used this box. The granules do not stick to his feet as much as the other litter. I only find a few of them on the floor and they are easily swept up with a dustpan every day or two. Now we don’t feel disgusted when we need to use that spare bathroom because it feels so much cleaner without the old litter box in it. The initial cost for some folks might be a bit high, but for me, it’s totally worth it! Max likes it and I like it.

My experience with granules on the floor was a little bit different than Julie’s. I don’t know if Avah was just used to the dome on her Litter-Robot or what, but when she would get into the CatGenie she would swish granules everywhere! I am not sure if it’s because she is declawed and her pads are grabbing granules – or what, but every time she would exit, she brought a bunch of granules along with her. I was getting a bit frustrated because I absolutely loved the obvious benefits of the device, but my house was getting littered with litter!

Max doesn’t dig at all, so if he starts, I might end up with that same problem.

I solved that problem by buying the optional GenieDome and GeniePaws 3-Pack (I only needed two of them). Now, once again, Avah has a completely covered and contained litter box. An added benefit is that I do not have to see her exposed poo in the hours before or after a cleaning cycle. Any litter that gets trapped in the GeniePaws gets dumped right back into the CatGenie, and it seems like it might also be helping to wipe her paws a bit…although I still see the occasional cat paw print on our bamboo floors.

There’s no way to get around the fact that the CatGenie is pricey. Let’s break it down for a moment: You have the initial cost of the CatGenie itself ($297 for the “Tabby” package), you’ll have to buy supplies (granules and SaniSolution) throughout the year as needed, and for many people that be enough. But as mentioned, I decided that Avah needed the GenieDome ($34.99) and the GeniePads ($24.99).

One thing worth mentioning is that the GenieDome is actually a combination of two products – the dome and the Genie SideWalls. The SideWalls are the extra gray plastic shown above the bowl, and the separate dome pieces are white. I honestly think that the SideWalls would have been sufficient to keep the litter in the box on their own, but during installation I decided that covering the box with the dome would make the whole thing look much better; as I mentioned, we wouldn’t be able to see the poo laying there in between cleanings anymore.

So far I’m using mine as it came. I’m afraid that Max won’t fit in the box with the top on it And knowing how finicky he is, he might not even try to go in.

One of the big concerns that I had was whether or not the CatGenie would work properly and safely with our brand new septic. The last thing I wanted was to foul it up or back it up somehow, but I needn’t have worried. Because the granules aren’t absorbent, even if some of them do wind up passing through to the septic, they won’t harm anything.

FYI: Mark mentioned that the three things which can really harm the septic are egg shells – because they never break down, and potato skins or rice – because they swell up, take up space, and take forever to break down.

I was worried about the septic issue as well. The first time I ran the CatGenie after Max had gone #2, I thought I’d see a disgusting slurry in the toilet waiting to be flushed. Surprisingly, it was mainly just soapy looking water. The CatGenie really does a good job of breaking down the poo.

I didn’t think that it was possible, but I have found the CatGenie to be even more convenient than the Litter-Robot was, simply because there is absolutely nothing for me to do other than keep the supplies replenished. Julie has to flush her toilet after the CatGenie runs, but other than that? There is nothing else to do.

I’ll take flushing the toilet over stooping, scooping, dumping and sweeping any day!

The only caveat that I can immediately pinpoint, other than its price, is that extra thought that has to be put into where the CatGenie can be placed. There are just some homes where it will not work, and in a home like that, I would recommend the Litter-Robot without hesitation – simply because it only needs an electrical plug to run. But if you have a good spot to place one, the CatGenie takes litter box cleaning and convenience to a whole new level.

Filed in categories: Home Tech

Tagged: Cats, Litter box, Pets

CatGenie Self-Flushing Self-Washing Cat Box Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 5, 2009 at 5:09 pm.

Dogs have always had their dog houses and now cats can have cabins. The next time your cat stays out prowling around all night, he can come home to his own comfy little cabin. I wonder if a cat would actually get in one of these though… If you want to give it a try, get your own KatKabin at I Want One Of Those.com.

Filed in categories: Home Tech

Tagged: Cats, Pets

Spotlight Gadget – KatKabin originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 4, 2009 at 9:38 pm.

Here’s something for all the kids out there that dream of playing fetch with Fido, but their parents won’t cave in and let them get a dog. Get a fish instead! You won’t have to worry about fleas, shedding or cleaning the poo out of your yard. And if that isn’t incentive enough, with the R2 Fish School Training Kit, you can teach them to do all kinds of crazy tricks! This almost makes me want to go buy a gold fish during my lunch hour today!

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Fish, Pets, Spotlight Gadgets

Spotlight Gadget – R2 Fish School Training Kit originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 23, 2009 at 10:49 am.