Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

It seems everyone wants a pet but no one wants to be bothered keeping track of them, so GPS and other pet tracking devices have become quite popular lately. The Pet Finder however uses a far simpler approach, but I can’t imagine there are too many pet owners willing to use it.

A relatively small, waterproof tag is attached to your pet’s collar and when activated by an included remote, will sound an 85db audible beep you can use to locate the animal. For comparison, a gas lawnmower or shop tools are rated at about 90db, so I’m pretty sure having an 85db beeping tag hanging around your neck isn’t that pleasant. Particularly when you consider a dog’s hearing is far more sensitive than our own.

You can find the Pet Finder at GadgetsUK for about $40 and it includes 4 separate color coded tags and a special tool for attaching them to a collar.

[ Pet Finder ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

There are lots of great reasons to own a dog but even I’ll admit that having to deal with their ‘business’ is unpleasant at best. A shovel works great when you’re in the backyard but they’re not so convenient when out on a walk, and that’s why the Swoop was created. It’s billed as man’s ’second best friend’ and if you have a particularly large dog (or smaller bear) as a pet you’ll appreciate its design.

It looks kind of like a flashlight but pulling back the top portion reveals a set of claws that open to grab and scoop the animal’s ‘business’ in a single action. It includes a set of baggies that cover the claws, preventing them from getting messed up in the process and also provides a convenient way to transport the materials until you can find a garbage can to dispose of them.

The Swoop is available on the Pet Pro website for about $40 and includes 26 of the special baggies. You can also buy an additional set of 160 baggies for about $45.

[ Swoop ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Evan Ackerman

If your hamster (or gerbil) likes hardcore cardio, he or she would probably appreciate this little pedometer. It hooks up to your pet’s exercise wheel and keeps track of the number of revolutions, easily translatable into miles or light years (depending on the energy level of your fuzzy little friend). If any of you speak Japanese, I’d really really like to know what’s in the hamster’s thought bubble on the packaging. Looks like it might be for sale, but I wasn’t able to find exactly where or for how much.

VIA [ TokyoMango ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Not only does this pet carrier benefit from the “puppies can sell anything” rule but it’s also the first one I’ve seen with an integrated LCD display and climate control system. The Komfort Pets Carrier uses patent-pending conduction and convection technology to cool or warm the animal as the temperature inside fluctuates.

While I’m not that thrilled with the idea of a pet being locked up someplace that’s not already climate-controlled I guess it could be useful when traveling in a vehicle since it provides a place for them to stay that’s customized to their own temperature needs.

At the moment the Komfort Pets Carrier only comes in one size so given the $399.99 price tag from SkyMall I probably wouldn’t recommend it for puppies that will eventually grow too big for it. However it should be fine for cats and smaller dogs.

[ Climate Controlled Pet Carrier ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While the Garmin Astro might be handy if your dog mysteriously disappears for days on end it’s actually designed to be used by hunters who rely on their pets for scaring up and retrieving game. A wireless transmitter attaches to the dog’s collar or can be used with an included harness and allows you to track the location of the animals when you can’t see or hear them.

The Astro also includes a full-featured handheld GPS unit that is not only used to track the dogs but also includes a barometric altimeter, electronic compass, microSD slot for extra maps, celestial information and of course a rugged, waterproof housing.

The Garmin Astro kit is available for $642.84 and includes the handheld receiver, the wireless transmitter and other accessories. Additional transmitters are $214.27 each.

[ Garmin Astro ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]