As a cat-mom to a two-year-old Clio, it took me a while to figure out why she would throw-up hair quite often. Since she is an indoor cat, what she was going through was separation anxiety that occurred whenever I left her alone at home for a couple of hours. Excessive and loud meowing, pulling out hair from her tail and being clingy, were some of the signs that she displayed.
Since you can’t stop going out or leaving your pet in the care of neighbors till you run your errands, most vets recommend leaving behind vibrating toys, small balls, catnip or even cat pheromone products. Although we have great products in the like of Furbo (an indoor home security camera and a dog nanny), Rocki notches it up with being a complete pet companion.
Pet feeder, Pet Camera, and Pet Toy
Taking it a step up from being just a pet camera and a food dispenser, what differentiates the Rocki is its ability to move. The Mecanum Wheel – AWD for robots, allows Rocki to point turn or move in any direction, without turning. This kind of mobility is one of a kind for robots. This ability to move in many ways can be very helpful in distracting your pet and giving it a sense of security that someone is around to play with it.
Thanks to the AWD mobility system, Rocki can traverse through any terrain at home. Carpets, tiled floor or even marble and wood are not a challenge for it. Moreover, Rocki can even tackle inclines.
I can imagine Rocki being exceptionally useful in these work-from-home days. It’s not possible to keep your pets engaged in activities while you attend your online meetings. I have a friend who recently adopted a two-month-old puppy, and the little bundle is a powerhouse of energy.
In situations like this, Rocki can be very helpful in ‘enticing’ your pet with different combination of movements. What this means is that the robotic toy arm moves and shakes to keep your pet intrigued, and perhaps give the robot a chase.
Robotic Arm to Entertain
Reminding me of an angler fish, the robotic arm of Rocki comes fitted with a default laser pointer. Now we all know how crazy a cat can get with that laser beam! You can control the arm with the help of an app and make it move with your finger. Simply move it on the video feed screen – left and right – and see how it engages with your pet.
The good news is that you can fasten your own DIY toys to the robotic arm, alternatively wait for the additional toy mounts that are soon to be released. For example, a feather toy and a chew toy are in the pipeline.
Everlasting Fun and Food
Apart from keeping an eye on your pet and engaging with it, Rocki is also an automatic pet feeder. You can dispense treats using the Rocki app, and space it out so that you can monitor the consumption. The snack-holder has fifteen chambers, which holds a good amount of food.
With almost a month-long standby mode, Rocki is designed to work for about a week without you having to power it up. This is definitely an up-side to the whole deal, because you don’t want to be adding another chore of recharging on a daily basis.
To sum it all up, Rocki is a great way to keep your pet busy and keep an eye on it. For sure this robot will be able to sniff out your fur-ball from its unusual hiding places. Available for $199, buy it here.
