Being a cat owner is just a life-long battle to get your cats to drink water. If it’s not flowing from a tap or sitting stagnant in a garden tub, they simply don’t want to know.
Sadly, in later life, this often results in kitty kidney problems which brings all kinds of heartache, not to mention the expensive vet bills and costly renal food. Thank you, Mitsy.
Luckily there’s a gadget for cats who are reluctant to drink. In fact, there are gadgets for all kinds of pet-related dilemmas these days. And in the spirit of making your life easier, we’ve shared the best you can buy to make kitty ownership a breeze. Or at least somewhat slightly easier...
Cat Water Fountain, Amazon, £21.69
Ok ok so this fountain is a bit of an eyesore and won’t necessarily blend in with decor but it’s also well-rated and can hold up to 2.5 litres of water (satisfying even the thirstiest of creatures). The noise of the running water will hopefully attract your kitties – reviews suggest it does – and it has three types of flow (gentle, bubbly and quiet) so you can fiddle about and figure out which your cat prefers. No batteries are needed either, it’s a plug-in job.
Buy it here.
Timed Pet Feeder, Amazon, £68.99
For pet owners who have the odd night away from home, this pet feeder works on a timer – meaning no need to get a cat sitter in. The dispenser works by releasing a set amount of food at specified times throughout the day (you can set a maximum of four). It also has a rather novel voice recording function so you can record yourself calling your cat’s name (although whether they respond or not is another matter) and this will play whenever the food is released.
The device is also pretty useful in reducing waste – the feeding outlet is equipped with an infrared detection function, so if your cat doesn’t finish a few meals, it will automatically stop pushing food out. It’s worth stressing these devices are good for the odd night away from home, not for multiple nights away.
Buy it here.
Microchip Cat Flap, Amazon, £79.99
If you have outdoor cats without a cat flap, you’re probably no stranger to a rubbish night’s sleep. Being woken up at 3am is no fun and, thankfully, there’s a gadget to alleviate that. A microchip-reader flap like this one from PetSafe will enable kitty to let itself out in the dead of night so you can continue to plough through those sleep cycles – and with minimal risk of strange cats entering your house. Excellent.
Buy it here.
Rotating Cat Toy, Amazon, £29.99
If your cat is an energetic wee beast and you feel bad because your hectic life doesn’t allow for much playtime, buying a gadget that does the job for you might be worth considering. This rotating cat toy comes with an electric engine which rotates the feather toy around, engaging your cat to play and get its hunt on.
With a random action and motion, the toy moves in an irregular time in clockwise and counter-clockwise circles. After 10 minutes of play the toy automatically shuts down to save the battery (it requires 2 AAA batteries) and it also comes with a ball that your kitty can push around the base. All in all, hours of fun.
Buy it here.
Pet Camera, Amazon, £56.99
If you’re new to pet ownership or you’ve only recently got a new kitty and you want to check on it at home when you’re at work, a webcam could be a smart way to do so. This Tooge camera is an ‘Amazon Choice’ product and has decent reviews to boot. Some cool features include: two-way audio, night vision and the fact it can pan 350° and tilt 80°. It requires wifi and an AA battery to work.
Buy it here.
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