GADGET: Kittyo lets you play with and feed your cats through your phone

Kittyo lets you play with and feed your cats through your phone

Here’s a bonkers idea that lets you play with and feed your cats while you’re at work. It’s called Kittyo, and using an app on your phone, you can interact with your cats as if you’re in the same room.

You can dispense treats, play with them, take pictures or video of them, and even speak to them using the built-in microphone.

We like the playing tool best. Swipe around your phone’s screen, and a laser pointer from the Kittyo will follow your finger. It’s guaranteed to keep your moggy chasing it for hours.

It’s also handy if you just want to check up on your cats. You can spy on them like with a webcam, and if they do something suitably cute or idiotic, you can take a picture or a video through Kittyo. You can discourage/terrify them by speaking through the built-in microphone, and reward good behaviour by dispensing treats.

Don’t worry about your cat taking down the Kittyo either. It has a shelf mount, so can’t be knocked over.

The bad news? It’s not for sale. Not yet, anyway. It’s still in the crowdfunding stage over onKickstarter, but it has raised $150,000 – that’s five times its goal of $30,000.

The app will be for Android and iOS, and the device should go on sale in November for $189 (£113). Your cat won’t know what’s hit it