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The 20 Best Smart Home Pet Products (and 4 Apps) for a Better Life With Your Pet

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furbo dog camera
Via Amazon

The 20 Best Smart Home Pet Products (and 4 Apps) for a Better Life With Your Pet

Updated April 23, 2021 | Bonding with Your Dog
By Elisabeth Geier
Updated by Nia Martin

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Table of Contents

  1. Best High-Tech Pet Products
  2. Whistle GO Explore GPS Pet Location Tracker
  3. Tractive LTE GPS Dog Tracker
  4. Glow Track Light Up Collars for Cats
  5. Furbo High-Tech Treat-Tossing Dog Camera (Verified Review)
  6. Petcube Play 2 Play Wi-Fi Pet Camera
  7. PetSafe Electronic SmartDoor
  8. Zen High-Tech Pet Crate
  9. The Litter-Robot 3
  10. ScoopFree Ultra Automatic Litter Box
  11. PupPod Rocker Training Treat Tossing Camera Dispenser & Puzzle Dog Toy
  12. CleverPet High-Tech Dog Hub
  13. iFetch Mini Automatic Ball Launcher
  14. Wickedbone High-Tech Dog Toy
  15. PetDroid Boltz High-Tech Robotic Cat Toy (Verified Review)
  16. Pet Zone Fly By Spinner Butterfly Cat Toy (Verified Review)
  17. Sure Petcare Microchip Pet Feeder Connect
  18. PetSafe Eatwell High-Tech Feeder
  19. PetSafe Drinkwell Stainless Multi-Pet Dog and Cat Water Fountain
  20. iRobot Roomba 690 Robot Vacuum
  21. ILIFE V3s Pro Robot Vacuum Cleaner
  22. GoodPup (Verified Review)
  23. Pup to Date
  24. BabelBark
  25. Rover App
  26. You Might Also Like
  • This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

Is your dog stuck in the 20th century? Walk them into the present with these amazing advances in pet tech designed to improve their life (and yours). From smart collars to treat-dispensing cams, we’ve got the scoop on the best high tech pet products around.

Read on for all the details of these pet-friendly gadgets and gizmos.

Best High-Tech Pet Products

Best GPS Trackers for Pets

A lost pet is a pet parent’s worst nightmare, which is why a tracking device can be a literal, modern-day lifesaver. GPS and location tracking gear for collars are among some of the most popular high-tech pet products on the market. Learn more by checking out our articles on the best tracking collars for dogs and cats, and read on for a few handpicked selections below.

Whistle GO Explore GPS Pet Location Tracker

hot pink Whistle GO Explore high-tech pet tracker

Utilizing AT&T’s wireless network and Google Maps, the Whistle GO Explore will notify you whenever your dog leaves their designated safe space and provide live location tracking. Lasting up to 20 days on a single charge, the GO Explore provides a weekly health report and can be set up so that more than one owner can receive alerts.

In addition to GPS monitoring, it can also be used to track physical activity goals for your pet, as well as certain health behaviors. A monthly or yearly subscription is required.

Find on Amazon Find on Chewy

Tractive LTE GPS Dog Tracker

Tractive dog GPS collar tracker

Designed for pets nine pounds and up, the Tractive GPS dog collar device offers tracking in over 150 countries. It connects via app (iOS or Android), as well as any web browser.

It’s also lightweight and fully waterproof for dogs who love to swim or splash around in the mud in their wanderings. The tracker’s battery lasts two to five days and a monthly subscription is required.

Find on Amazon

Glow Track Light Up Collars for Cats

Glow Track high tech light up cat collar

With this reflective tracking collar for cats, how high tech you want to go is up to you. On its own, it simply glows or blinks with an LED built-in light, for simple visual tracking of your kitty.

However, you also have the option to add a tiny lightweight camera to the collar to get a cat’s-eye view of their activities. Take it up one more notch with the attachable radiofrequency tracker tag insert for another layer of security.

Shop on Glow Track Collars

Best Pet Cameras & Treat Dispensers

When you have to be away from your best furry friend, put your mind at ease with pet cameras. These popular high-tech pet products allow you to look in on your pet via a phone app.

Furbo High-Tech Treat-Tossing Dog Camera (Verified Review)

Furbo Treat-Tossing high-tech pet camera product

Check-in on your pup with this top-rated live streaming camera with night vision. The best part is the treat-tossing feature that you control through the free app (Android and iOS), letting you praise and reward your dog from afar.

Verified Review: The Furbo is the ultimate, “Didn’t know I needed it until I got it” pet tech. This treat-shooting pet spy-gear has easy set-up and a user-friendly app. You can shoot treats at your pet, talk to them through the microphone, and sneak a peek at them while you’re away via the built-in camera. I love it because (1) I now have confirmation that my dog seems pretty content when I’m not around. (2) It sends me a push notification whenever he’s barking so I can turn on the camera and see what’s up. (Spoiler alert: It’s always the mailman.) and (3) I can remind him any time, from anywhere, that I love him. That’s definitely the best part.

Find on Amazon Find on Chewy

Petcube Play 2 Play Wi-Fi Pet Camera

Petcube Play 2 Play high-tech pet camera product

Keep an eye on your pet with this HD camera that connects to your phone via a free app. The device features night vision, microphones, and speakers so you can talk to and listen to your pet from wherever you are. There’s even a pet-safe laser toy you can control so you can play together from afar.

Shop on Chewy

Best Smart Pet Doors and Crates

Give your pet more autonomy (and yourself less work) with these high tech pet products that let you control the accessibility and comfort of your pet’s space.

PetSafe Electronic SmartDoor

PetSafe high-tech pet door product

If you’ve got a secure yard, this is the perfect high-tech tool to let your dog in and out. It uses radio-frequency technology: Your dog wears a SmartKey on their collar and the door reads the SmartKey’s unique signal, triggering the battery power-driven flap to unlock.

It’s available in two sizes and is programmable for up to five pets with additional SmartKeys.

Find on Amazon

Zen High-Tech Pet Crate

Zen Crate high-tech pet product

This smart crate is designed to keep your doggo feeling safe and calm, with features such as a motion-activated anti-anxiety playlist, an automatic fan for comforting white noise and added ventilation, and sound and vibration dampening built in to reduce anxiety—especially perfect during storms or fireworks.

Sensors turn the crate on and off automatically. It’s made in the USA, for dogs up to 90 pounds.

Find on Zen Dog Crate

Best Smart Litter Boxes

Any high tech pet products that make litter box life easier are OK by us. But some work better than others. Check out our top picks below—and find even more choices (plus a few tips) in our article on automatic cat litter boxes.

The Litter-Robot 3

Litter-Robot 3 high-tech pet product for cats

The Litter-Robot 3 is a pricey giant of a gadget, but it’s got a lot of bells and whistles for cat parents to love. It’s relatively quiet compared to other robot boxes, doesn’t require special litter or bags, can be paused as needed, and has an 18-month warranty. There’s even a WiFi model that lets you monitor waste levels, litter box visits, and emptying reminders via app. The Litter-Robot is made for cats 5 pounds and up.

For this verified review, Rover writer Karen Anderson surveyed her robot-owning friends for a real-life take on this product: “’I love it,’ her friend Beth said. ‘It really works.’ She has two cats. One kitty is a dependable customer of the Litter-Robot. The other, an older cat, goes back and forth between the robot cat litter box and a traditional box. Still, litter scooping is vastly reduced in Beth’s household.”

Shop on Litter-Robot

ScoopFree Ultra Automatic Litter Box

cat walking out of ScoopFree high-tech litter box

A motorized rake activates 20 minutes after your kitty exits this automated litter box, collecting and depositing waste in a separate container to help minimize odor.

Designed for cats up to 15 pounds, this litter box comes with a removable cover (also available in a top-entry version) and disposable trays (a reusable tray can be used, too). It’s made to be used in conjunction with the brand’s blue silica non-clumping crystal litter.

Shop on Chewy

Best Smart Dog and Cat Toys

We like high-tech toys, and so do our pets! From interactive smart games to spinners that do the work for you, these toys are a step beyond the tried and true laser pointer. Read up on the tech advances changing your dog’s life and see some of our favorite high-tech toys below.

PupPod Rocker Training Treat Tossing Camera Dispenser & Puzzle Dog Toy

The PupPod, an interactive, high-tech, treat-dispensing toy for dogs, has come a long way since some of its first iterations (see a review of an earlier PupPod model here). The brand’s latest innovation is like the Furbo, where you can watch your dog from afar and dispense on-the-spot treats while you’re away. The neat thing about this particular toy is that the interactive wobbler can be programmed to different levels of play that teach and train your dog various skills; when they get it right, out come the treats!

Shop on Amazon

CleverPet High-Tech Dog Hub

dog interacting with CleverPet high-tech pet product game hub

You’ll want to get on the waitlist for the latest version of the CleverPet Hub. Basically a game console for dogs, CleverPet engages your dog with different puzzle challenges, like the Color Match game that rewards your pup with a treat when they successfully match the color lights.

See how one dog learned to communicate in a similar way via a touch button console here. 

Shop on CleverPet

iFetch Mini Automatic Ball Launcher

iFetch Mini automatic ball launcher

Does it seem like your dog never gets tired of playing fetch—even though your arm definitely does? This motorized toy solves both problems: It offers all the ball-tossing your dog can stand and none of the arm work for you.

Best for small to medium dogs, the iFetch automatically launches balls between 10–30 feet. You can also teach your dog to refill the launcher themselves. It comes with three mini-sized balls, and you can buy additional mini balls. Have a bigger dog? You’ll want the iFetch Too, which uses larger, standard tennis-sized balls.

Shop on Chewy

Wickedbone High-Tech Dog Toy

Wickedbone Smart Bone high-tech pet product

Bluetooth-enabled, this hands-free chew toy is recommended for medium- and large-breed dogs and has two modes: autoplay and drive. In autoplay mode, the bone roams around at different speeds, responding to your dog’s touch. In drive, you control this techy toy via app for more interactivity.

Find on Amazon

PetDroid Boltz High-Tech Robotic Cat Toy (Verified Review)

PetDroid Boltz automatic cat toys

The Boltz spins and rotates in every direction on its own on any type of flooring while your kitty chases after the attachable charm toy. The unpredictable movements keep cats on their paws, ensuring hours of fun.

Verified Review: “Whoever is responsible for the interactive, robotic wizardry behind this miracle A.I. pet device, thank you for designing a toy that somehow manages to capture a cat’s short attention span, and withstands full-on feline assaults, for more than just a few, fleeting moments.”

Find on Amazon

Pet Zone Fly By Spinner Butterfly Cat Toy (Verified Review)

Pet Zone butterfly spinning toy

Reviewed by real cats (and our Rover humans), this interactive electronic toy taps into your cat’s hunting instincts, convincingly mimicking the sound and movement of butterflies. It’s hands-free for cat parents and runs on one AAA battery. Also check out the similar and popular SmartyKat, another locomotion toy that we’ve tested and reviewed.

Find on Amazon

Best Smart Pet Feeders & Water Dispensers

High-tech feeders and water dispensers are among the most life-simplifying high-tech pet products. Check out our list below, as well as our round-up of the best automatic water fountains for cats, the best automatic cat feeders, and the best automatic dog food dispensers.

Sure Petcare Microchip Pet Feeder Connect

Sure Petcare SureFeed microchip high-tech pet product

The SureFeed connects to your pet’s existing microchip or their SureFlap RFID collar tag, unsealing the right portions for the right pet—especially great for multi-pet households with food thieves!

The scales light up to ensure you measure the correct portion for your pet while the feeder records your pet’s mealtime habits, so you’ll have all the info you need at their next health check-up.

Shop on Amazon

PetSafe Eatwell High-Tech Feeder

PetSafe Eatwell automatic feeder

Great for short periods of absence, this easy-to-program automatic food dispenser works particularly well for cats and dogs on the smaller end. The five compartments rotate through as needed and can dispense dry or wet food. Bonus? The food tray is dishwasher safe.

Shop on Chewy

PetSafe Drinkwell Stainless Multi-Pet Dog and Cat Water Fountain

cat drinking from PetSafe Drinkwell stainless steel water fountain

This stainless steel water fountain can accommodate cats, dogs (including large breeds) and even multi-pet households. It provides a whole gallon of fresh, running water and comes complete with filters and pump.

Find on Amazon

Best Robot Vacuums for Pet Hair

You found hair where? Pet hair is a constant battle for pet moms and dads. Luckily, this is where high tech pet products really shine. Learn more about robot vacuums in our article on the best robot vacuums for pet hair and check out a few of our top selects below.

iRobot Roomba 690 Robot Vacuum

iRobot Roomba 690 robot vacuum

The pet hair vacuum to measure all pet hair vacuums by, this Roomba checks a whole lot of boxes: it connects to WiFi and has an app for remote vacuuming when you’re not home, it’s guided by sensors that can take it underneath furniture, and it’s self-charging. Its “dirt detector” feature is particularly helpful at finding prime spots where pet hair proliferates, on hard or carpeted floors. This small-but-mighty product can run continuously for 90 minutes.

Shop on Amazon

ILIFE V3s Pro Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Ilife V3s Pro high-tech robot pet product

If you’re in the market for a pet hair vacuum that’s easier on the wallet than others on the market, this one is right up your alley. Best for hard floors, it’s designed with tangle-free pet hair tech for finding and sucking up those pesky clumps and wisps of fur.

It self-charges and can run continuously up to 100 minutes. It’s outfitted with smart sensors for smooth travel throughout your home. Schedule a cleaning or control it via remote or button when you’re ready to get cleaning.

Find on Amazon

Best Apps for Pet Owners

A lot of high-tech pet products connect to apps, but apps can be helpful—and very convenient—on their own, too. See our round-up of the best apps for dog parents and take a look below at some of our favorites to help you train and care for your dog.

GoodPup (Verified Review)

GoodPup app icon

Get the benefit of personal dog training, but with more flexibility and less hassle. GoodPup allows you to schedule sessions with a vetted and certified trainer via video—you can also access your trainer outside of sessions should any questions come up—all for a reasonable price.

Verified Review (Rover employee, Alison Rutty): “I used a trainer on the GoodPup app to help me address car anxiety in my 5-year-old Labradoodle. I felt like we had tried everything (treats, crates, medication) and nothing seemed to work. Enter GoodPup!

“They matched me with a trainer who conducted weekly, 30-minute video sessions with us. Scheduling appointments via the app was very easy. I especially loved the feature where I could send messages and videos to my trainer directly outside of our sessions. It was highly convenient not having to leave my house or travel anywhere. At $29 a week, I feel like I am getting high-quality, personalized training that would be much more expensive if we were meeting in person.”

Get the GoodPup App

Pup to Date

Pup to Date app icon

This app helps you organize your training—a must when a new puppy joins the family. Easily keep track of medications, potty breaks, and more. Plus it lets you set recurring reminders so you don’t forget anything important.

Get the Pup to Date App

BabelBark

BabelBark app icon

Stay connected and share important pet info with all the people that care for your dog, from groomers to kennel services to vets. This app stores and tracks your dog’s health and medical records, plus it keeps tabs on your dog’s fitness through a monitor that attaches to their collar.

Get the BabelBark App

Rover App

Rover app icon

Can’t take your dog for a walk? Heading out of town sans your furry family? Rover app to the rescue! Our free app connects you to a network of professional pet sitters and dog walkers across the country. Read reviews and message sitters that match your pet’s needs and budget, then book and pay. It’s simple and secure!

Get the Rover App

You Might Also Like

  • The Best Robot Cat Litter Box? Finding One Is Not as Automatic as You’d Think
  • Free Your Time With These Awesome Automatic Cat Feeders
  • 7 Best Robot Vacuums for Pet Hair
  • The Best Pet Cameras to Help You Keep an Eye on Your Pet
  • The Best GPS Cat Collars and Why You Might Want One
  • We’ve Located the 8 Best Dog GPS Collar Trackers—Plus Non-GPS Options
  • The Best Dog Apps for Pet Parents
  • The Best Dog Training Apps of 2021
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Elisabeth Geier

Elisabeth Geier is a writer, teacher, and animal advocate with extensive animal handling experience and a soft spot for bully breeds and big orange tabbies.


Updated by Nia Martin

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By Elisabeth Geier

Updated by Nia Martin

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