As many of you may know, the pet population in our community is far larger than ever before. Due to the country’s interest in and preoccupation with pets, today’s tech nerds are striving to create pet-friendly inventions that give us the resources to pet parent at our best- and the inventions so far are “freaking” incredible!

Between web cameras, wireless chips, motion sensors, high resolution camera lenses and the advancements of the smart phone, pet-friendly monitoring devices are as close to you as your smartphone app screen. These new smart phone pet-friendly apps are giving pet parents a way to visualize and collect biometric data, while snooping on Fido’s behavior from anywhere that has a wireless connection while Mom and Dad are away. Wearable devices work as a pet pedometer allowing people to track pet exercise, while webcams give a look at what is going on at home – I’m still losing my mind over it!

This style technology not only helps us keep an eye on Fido’s activity while we are away, but collects data of Fido’s heart rate, respiratory, and footwork exercise – these sneaky little tech nerds are trying to kill my budget one great pet-friendly smart phone app at a time! The wearable accessory called the Whistle Activity Monitor will better help parents understand the specific diet and exercise appropriate for their pet with the information provided. In a country where pets are treated like royalty, the effects of over-feeding and pampering have resulted in nearly 60% of the country’s cats and dogs struggling with obesity. You can imagine how incredibly cool these new smartphone apps can be to pets and their parents!

All and all, I must say I’m truly amazed how far the pet industry has come. Not only has the growing industry been positive for consumers, but it has significantly helped stimulate the economy. According to The New York Times, the device manufacturers are chasing the growing number of people who spend lavish amounts of money on their pets. The total annual spending on pets in this country including food, veterinary care and medicine more than tripled over the past two decades to 60 billion dollars according to the American Pet Products Association. The tighter bond between household animals and the people who own them has established pet wellness as a serious business and the tech firms are taking note! I’m ready to order my Whistle collar for Jack!