Purina Petivity Sensible Cat Litterbox Monitor System Evaluation

Setup is simple—plug it in or use the included batteries, sync with the app, and arrange your cat’s profile. Liz Coleman / Cats.com

In the case of their well being, cats are masters of disguise. Even probably the most attentive cat father or mother can miss delicate modifications of their pet’s weight or litter field utilization that may level to a well being situation. Fortuitously, advances in health-monitoring expertise have trickled right down to the pet world, making means for gadgets just like the Petivity Sensible Cat Litter Field Monitor System. This modern software goals to assist pet mother and father handle their cat’s well being by offering insights into their weight and toilet habits.

However how dependable is the Petivity’s expertise, and is the information collected truly helpful? Is it definitely worth the worth? To seek out out, we examined the monitor for a number of weeks with two cats. Right here’s what we realized in regards to the gadget, the place it shines, the place it may use enchancment, and who would possibly profit most from it.

Why Belief Cats.com

From self-cleaning litter bins to computerized feeders, our workforce has examined a variety of recent pet gear over time. I’ve personally reviewed a lot of self-cleaning litter bins, cat water fountains, cat trackers, and a microchip feeder, so I’m accustomed to the world of pet tech and the way it has served my very own feline family.

For this overview, I explored the expertise behind the Petivity system, studying the way it works and the way Purina developed its AI capabilities. Then, I examined the gadget in my house with two senior cats. Throughout setup, I noticed how simple it was to sync the gadget with my cellphone and “prepare” the AI. I thought-about the Petivity’s accuracy and utility, and the intuitiveness of the app. I additionally thought-about the system’s worth, weighing the price towards its usefulness.

Lastly, I learn dozens of buyer evaluations and Reddit threads to get a way of how others fared with the monitor. I took observe of whether or not they skilled any glitches and the way helpful they discovered the compiled information.

Petivity ​Litter Field Monitor System and Purina Overview

Purina’s Petivity tracks weight and toilet habits. Liz Coleman / Cats.com

Powered by Purina, the Petivity model develops good gadgets that assist pet mother and father take proactive care of their pets. Together with the Sensible Cat Litter Field Monitor, Petivity additionally carries a Microbiome Evaluation Package.

The Petivity Litter Field Monitor System is a comparatively new gadget that was launched in 2022. The corporate has been engaged on this technique for greater than a decade with assist from Purina veterinarians, behaviorists, and information scientists. The Petivity’s aim is to assist cats reside longer and more healthy lives by offering pet mother and father with helpful information about their weight and habits.

Purina consultants developed the Petivity system’s AI expertise by analyzing 1000’s of litter field makes use of from 1000’s of cats. They then used this information to set thresholds for regular litter field use.

The gadget information your cat’s weight and litter field utilization, compiling this info to detect any modifications that may require your consideration. If there’s a possible well being situation, corresponding to a UTI, kidney illness, diabetes, weight problems, or hyperthyroidism, the Petivity will ship an alert so you’ll be able to take immediate motion.

Petivity ​​Sensible Cat Litter Field Monitor System Options

The Petivity system is designed to carry your cat’s present litter field. Liz Coleman / Cats.com

The Petivity Litter Field Monitor system is a low-profile scale that sits beneath your cat’s present litter field. The gadget syncs with a free app that information your cat’s weight and collects particulars on their lavatory habits, together with litter field go to frequency, waste kind, and time of use. If it detects any modifications that might point out a problem, it sends you an alert in your cellphone.

At present, the Petivity retails for $199.99 on Chewy however continuously goes on sale for $149.99.

Throughout setup, you’ll create a profile for every cat, with particulars about their gender, age, physique rating situation, and weight loss program. For the primary week or so, the gadget might be in “coaching mode”—that means you’ll be serving to it learn to acknowledge your cat(s). Each time it detects an occasion, you’ll be requested to point which cat used the field based mostly on the recorded weight, in addition to whether or not the occasion was a primary, quantity two, or a non-cat occasion (like scooping).

As soon as the monitor collects sufficient occasions for every cat, will probably be capable of acknowledge them with out enter from you.

The app collects the variety of litter field visits and interprets these particulars into actionable insights. As an example, in case your cat’s lavatory visits double over the course of some days, the app will let you realize. The identical goes for weight fluctuations. You possibly can then maintain a better eye in your cat or carry this info to your veterinarian.

When you’ve got a number of litter bins, you’ll want a Petivity monitor for every one. There are measurement limitations, too. The Petivity Monitor is nineteen inches by 14 inches, so the corporate recommends utilizing a litter field no bigger than 21 inches by 16 inches to keep away from tipping and inaccurate readings.

The Petivity Monitor is appropriate with conventional open litter bins and hooded litter bins, however it received’t work with triangular-shaped bins or self-cleaning bins.

What We Like:

• Helps pet mother and father choose up on delicate modifications they could in any other case miss
• Distinguishes between cats based mostly on their weight—there’s no want for a chip or collar
• No subscription plan required
• Low-profile design shouldn’t inhibit litter field use for many cats
• Can function with an influence twine or 6 AA batteries, that are included

What We Dislike:

• You’ll want one for every litter field (which might be a major expense for multi-cat properties)
• The AI expertise can get confused in case your cats’ weight is analogous
• Solely appropriate with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi—received’t work with 5 GHz
• Gained’t work with bigger litter bins

What Did Our Check Cats Suppose?

Senior cats Floyd and Amber had no drawback utilizing their litter field with the Petivity scale. Liz Coleman / Cats.com

Right away, I can say I used to be impressed with the expertise behind the Petivity. The setup section went off with out a hitch, and it solely took a couple of minutes to sync the gadget to the app. My cats had been unfazed by this addition to their litter field setup, and the slight peak distinction shouldn’t hinder entry for many cats.

In the course of the studying interval—roughly 5 days—anytime the monitor registered an occasion, I obtained real-time notifications on my cellphone prompting me to confirm the occupant and what they left behind. Take observe: You’ll have to maintain an in depth eye in your cat’s lavatory habits throughout this time. In the event you work exterior the house, you’ll be able to nonetheless use the Petivity, however the AI would possibly want a couple of further days to change into acquainted together with your cats.

As for accuracy, the Petivity was largely spot-on, with occasions showing within the app inside a minute or so. That stated, it wasn’t good. There have been situations the place it swapped my two cats. And one in every of my cat’s weight was everywhere in the map. The burden modifications appeared too drastic to be correct, so I did some investigating. I realized that sure behaviors (i.e., peeing and pooping in tandem) can confuse the AI. As well as, an imbalanced scale can throw readings out of whack.

I appreciated the app’s user-friendly interface and intuitive navigation. I used to be offered with information in easy-to-digest graphs and lists. Every cat had their very own profile the place I may consider their every day occasions individually.

Every cat has a profile the place you’ll be able to see their every day litter field use. Liz Coleman / Cats.com

As soon as the AI learns to determine your cats, you’ll cease getting pinged after each occasion. However when you’re involved about one cat particularly and also you’d prefer to maintain an in depth watch, you’ll be able to set the app to inform you each time they use the litter field. You possibly can even generate month-to-month studies to obtain and share together with your vet.

Because the guardian of two paunchy senior cats (one with hyperthyroidism), I feel the Petivity monitor is a very precious software. As we all know, it’s almost unattainable to trace one cat’s lavatory habits, not to mention two. Which may make it difficult to know which cat might need an issue. Getting up-to-the-minute particulars on my cats’ little treasures—and having the ability to differentiate between them—is a significant win for proactive pet care.

It’s not good, and we skilled some accuracy hiccups. However total, the Petivity actually impressed me. I’d enterprise to say it’s a extra correct health-monitoring system than Fairly Litter, and it’s undoubtedly extra reasonably priced than a Litter-Robotic 4.

The Petivity may carry peace of thoughts to households with senior cats, cats vulnerable to urinary tract infections, anxious first-time cat mother and father, or any cat father or mother who desires to be extra educated and proactive about their pet’s well being.

What Do Prospects Consider the Petivity Litter Field Monitor System?

Constructive Opinions

“This Petivity monitor is nothing wanting wonderful. My kitty was recognized with FLUTD and this monitor offers me peace of thoughts to know when and the way usually he’s utilizing the litter field. It’s correct in telling when he’s utilizing it and what he’s doing in there. Couldn’t advocate extra when you’ve got a kitty that has urinary points!”—Brittany, on Chewy.com

For probably the most half, cat mother and father respect the peace of thoughts that the Petivity brings. Nearly all of customers thought-about the setup course of easy and the app simple to make use of. Various reviewers remarked that they favored having the ability to maintain tabs on their cat whereas out of city. And others appreciated the flexibility to trace progress with their cat’s weight loss program.

Damaging Opinions

“I used to be excited to get this attached at our farm home, however have now put it apart. The unit won’t hook up with our 5 GHz router. We have to buy an extender as a result of our Verizon community doesn’t have the two.4 GHz choice for his or her router. We had to do that for the Furbo unit at house as that has the identical requirement. Could be useful to offer a heads up so patrons will be ready.”—Phosphorus, on Chewy.com

A lot of the complaints deal with points with accuracy. Some people stated the Petivity had bother distinguishing between a number of cats. Just a few cat mother and father had been additionally irked by the web necessities (the unit works with 2.4 GHz, not 5 GHz). And a few felt the price was prohibitive for households with a couple of litter field.

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