Tailio turns your litter box into a smart monitor for your cat

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At the time of writing, we’ve got about 8 health trackers strapped to each arm, a smart trainer on each foot and an ear-mounted camera that records every piece of food we put in our mouths.

But why should humans have all the fun?

Enter Tailio – a smart health monitor for cats that lets you keep tabs on your tabby. Or any other cat for that matter. Apart from Tigers and Lions. It’s not quite big enough for them.

In essence, it’s a smart, connected scale which rests beneath a litter box, recording your cat’s weight and letting you see any changes over time, using an accompanying Android or iOS app.

Sudden drastic weight loss often points towards health problems, but it’s also a useful way to make sure your whiskered friend stays at a healthy weight, despite prowling the neighbours’ gardens looking for hand outs.

Sure you could just weigh yourself, then pick up your cat and work out the difference, but if you’ve ever picked up a cat that doesn’t want to be picked up, you’ve probably still got the scars to show for it. We know we have.

In addition to keeping track of weight, the Tailio records the frequency of litter box visits, which can also be used to alert you of any possible health problems.

It can also use the number of visits to nag you about cleaning the litter tray – an activity you no doubt prefer putting off for as long as possible.

The app can also remind you to dish out medicine and supplements, and provides a library of symptoms and potential problems too.

Naturally you can share everything on Facebook and Twitter, but unless you’re exclusively in a circle of people who are die-hard cat fanatics, we’d suggest leaving this feature untouched.

Tailio is smart enough to distinguish between different cats too, keeping a “Pawprint” profile for each one of your little furry mouse murderers.

If you fancy treating Professor Whiskers to his very own smart litter tray, then you can nab one for US$100 on Kickstarter, with an estimated shipping date of April 2015.

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.