PetChatz "Greet And Treat" Webcam Helps You Interact With Pets Online

PetChatz is a web cam that lets you interact with your pet on a number of levels from anywhere in the world. Install it over a wall outlet, secure it to a stud, connect it to your home WiFi, fill it with treats and a special scent, and you're set to go. The device was conceived as a way to reduce pet owner separation anxiety, but its maker Anser Innovation also claims it makes for healthier, happier pets.

The PetChatz unit includes a speaker so your pet can hear your voice, a microphone so you can hear theirs, sound and motion sensors for when your pet (or anything else) is active, and an automatic video record function. Treat and scent dispensers are activated with the push of a button through the online interface.

You can share videos through the iPhone or Android app or via the Web. You can also activate the PetChatz at any time, and your pet will hear a custom ringtone which they can be trained to understand as a signal that they're about to get a treat. Check out the promo video below to see an ideal example of how it will work:

The device is supposed to be chew-proof, so your pets won't electrocute themselves. It's unclear whether the treat dispenser insulates the scent. PetChatz will launch sometime in 2014 and run $349. The package includes proprietary natural treats and scent pads.

SOURCE: Smithsonian