Attention cats: Could you be replaced by a robot? The unyielding march of automation threatens even our noble profession. Humans are replacing their cats with robots that consume less food, shed less hair, and worst of all, are even better at sitting around doing nothing than we are!
Alice Shortcake
Awww, so cute at the end – somebody needed a friend!
That’s exactly what I was going to say! Except in addition to being cute, for me it was also sorta ‘awww…sad’. It hurt my heart a tiny bit.
Kind, gentle, quiet cat likes new quiet friend.
I may be projecting slightly…
Or, “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”.
or
Veni, vidi, vici
Does anyone know if this is the robot kitty in the vid?
We have a recent rescue kitty who wants to eat our other kitties I was thinking maybe this could help her get use to other moving kitties!
Looks like it. I don’t recognize the packaging on this one, but the manufacturer, Hasbro, also markets it as Joy for All pet companion and targets primarily elderly citizens who love animals but can no longer have pets. I bought one for my 94-year-old mom who loves kitties but can’t take care of one or have one in assisted living. She knows it isn’t real but she loves it—talks to it, pets it, insists on having it near her bed at night and on the sofa during the day. It makes her so happy! (And one of my cats reacted just like those in the vid before I sent it to her!)
I meant to add…you might try Feliway to calm your rescue kitty. It comes as liquid with a diffuser or as a spray. I used the diffusers when one of my kitties suddenly went whackadoodle and it calmed everyone down. And they use them in the kitty cottage at the sanctuary where I volunteer, one in each room.
Tortie’s reaction: “Hmm … it doesn’t move away when I touch it and it’s fluffy, so it’s obviously there for me to sleep on.”
Syd, that does look like the same thing shown at the top of the video.
I thought this product was a pointless waste of time and ingenuity, but I changed my mind when I read the reviews at the link you posted. Apparently it is very helpful to people who can’t have cats whether because of allergies or living in care homes where pets aren’t permitted, and for people with dementia. That should teach me not to be Judgy McJudgerson.
I don’t know if it would work for your rescue kitty, but I guess it’s worth a try. Read all the reviews, Syd—at least one commenter found a similar toy they liked better, and at a cheaper price, elsewhere. And be prepared to spend a lot on batteries.
And good luck with your scaredy-cat!
Hilarious. I would get one to freak out my cats, but I still haven’t recovered from the singing big-mouth bass.
???
Huh?
I once had a robotic dog like this. Totally freaked out my cats, especially when it would get up and walk, then bark 3 times.
I want something like this, but not quite the same. I just want a cat that purrs.