Millions of besotted cat owners are so keen to stay in touch with their pets that they use their mobile phone or computer to call home and €speak' to them.
One in three use video messaging service Skype to see and give them attention, a poll of 1,000 owners claims.
Almost a quarter of male owners admit they'll even call home just to hear their feline friend purring - more than the number of women who do.
Ignoring the fact that cats only offer affection on their terms, half of British owners say they'd rather spend time with one than with a human.
When owners and pets do spend quality time together it's clear what they get up to. For 37 per cent of men say they have taught their cat to perform tricks, the poll for card retailer Hallmark shows.
So it's no surprise that 29 per cent of women say their cat is a fully-fledged member of the family.
The poll found a fifth of cats are taken on family holidays and 15 per cent of owners confess to serving their cat specially-made meals on a daily basis.
Perhaps the most bizarrely, U.S. film star Angelina Jolie was crowned the biggest cat lookalike with almost 70 per cent of owners claiming that their cat is like the actress - 'sexy, sinuous and just a little bit dangerous'.
PetPace collar monitors your pet's health
One of the challenges in monitoring the health of our pets lies in the fact that they can't tell us when they're starting to feel a little poorly. We generally only know that there's something wrong once it's progressed to the state that it's really obvious. The PetPace collar is designed to let pet owners know that something's up, before it reaches that point.
Sensors in the collar measure the dog or cats' body temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, activity level, calories burned, and body position. This data is wirelessly transmitted to a cloud-based server, then subsequently sent to an app on the user's iOS or Android device after being processed.
When any of the vitals or behavioral parameters start to deviate noticeably from what's normal for that animal's personal profile and/or breed, the app lets the user know via text message, email or push notification. Data can also be forwarded to a veterinarian, both to let them know what has been happening, and to let them track the progress of a patient in real time.
The collar is powered by a lithium-polymer battery that should provide six weeks of use per charge. It's shockproof, water- and dust-resistant, and features a single push-button interface and LED indicator. It comes in three sizes, one of which should reportedly fit any dog or cat weighing 8 lb (3.6 kg) or more.
PetPace is priced at US$150 for the collar, plus there's a $15 monthly service fee. It's being rolled out across the US this summer.
sources:http://en.twwtn.com/Information/26_70009.html
One in three use video messaging service Skype to see and give them attention, a poll of 1,000 owners claims.
Almost a quarter of male owners admit they'll even call home just to hear their feline friend purring - more than the number of women who do.
Ignoring the fact that cats only offer affection on their terms, half of British owners say they'd rather spend time with one than with a human.
When owners and pets do spend quality time together it's clear what they get up to. For 37 per cent of men say they have taught their cat to perform tricks, the poll for card retailer Hallmark shows.
So it's no surprise that 29 per cent of women say their cat is a fully-fledged member of the family.
The poll found a fifth of cats are taken on family holidays and 15 per cent of owners confess to serving their cat specially-made meals on a daily basis.
Perhaps the most bizarrely, U.S. film star Angelina Jolie was crowned the biggest cat lookalike with almost 70 per cent of owners claiming that their cat is like the actress - 'sexy, sinuous and just a little bit dangerous'.
PetPace collar monitors your pet's health
One of the challenges in monitoring the health of our pets lies in the fact that they can't tell us when they're starting to feel a little poorly. We generally only know that there's something wrong once it's progressed to the state that it's really obvious. The PetPace collar is designed to let pet owners know that something's up, before it reaches that point.
Sensors in the collar measure the dog or cats' body temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, activity level, calories burned, and body position. This data is wirelessly transmitted to a cloud-based server, then subsequently sent to an app on the user's iOS or Android device after being processed.
When any of the vitals or behavioral parameters start to deviate noticeably from what's normal for that animal's personal profile and/or breed, the app lets the user know via text message, email or push notification. Data can also be forwarded to a veterinarian, both to let them know what has been happening, and to let them track the progress of a patient in real time.
The collar is powered by a lithium-polymer battery that should provide six weeks of use per charge. It's shockproof, water- and dust-resistant, and features a single push-button interface and LED indicator. It comes in three sizes, one of which should reportedly fit any dog or cat weighing 8 lb (3.6 kg) or more.
PetPace is priced at US$150 for the collar, plus there's a $15 monthly service fee. It's being rolled out across the US this summer.
sources:http://en.twwtn.com/Information/26_70009.html