My roommate’s cat is a bundle of energy. We live in a small apartment, yet somehow we’re never able to find him. We’ll occasionally find him in the oddest places — in a kitchen cabinet, behind a stack of cardboard boxes, and on multiple occasions, on our complex’s balcony. JP’s adventurous spirit is part of his charm, but you can see why my roommate might want a device that can watch over him — or, at least, keep him entertained while she’s out of the house. As it happens, the Ebo Catpal does both.
The Ebo Catpal is a robot companion that serves as both a cat sitter and a favorite toy. It’s essentially a mobile security camera that can follow your pet through the house like a Roomba. Similar to a Roomba, the device has sensors to detect obstacles in the vicinity. It also will automatically return to its charging station when low on battery. The camera’s feed is accessible through a mobile app, similar to many home security systems. It also serves a second purpose … let’s be honest, what owner can resist snapping close-up of their pet’s hijinks? For this reason, the Ebo’s camera records high-resolution footage, which you can save, edit, and post to social media. You can add cute stickers to an image, or even create gifs.
Physically, the Ebo is quite small, about the size of a tennis ball. You might wonder, How will that tiny object keep track of my cat? For those with large homes, this could be a setback. Well, as a workaround, the Ebo aims to attract your pet’s attention. How? By being an irresistible toy. At first glance, the Ebo looks more like a robotic, remote-controlled toy for a pre-schooler. Its spherical body, with heart-shaped pixelated eyes, reminds me of a Tamagotchi, but in real life. (Enabot even sells customizable clip-on “costumes” for the Ebo – as if the device wasn’t cute enough already.) The product is also the perfect size to be knocked around by a cat’s paw. It also comes with every cat’s weakness — a laser pointer. Perhaps your cat will finally capture that elusive red dot.
The Ebo was designed to make your cat the happiest pet ever. In addition to the robot companion, Enabot also created a cat collar that doubles as a step counter to track its activity. These products encourage your cat’s adventurous spirit by inviting it to play, chase, toss, etc. I can’t decide who would love the Ebo more: my roommate and me, or JP himself.
Designer: Enabot
