CNET asks its pet owning staff which pet tech products are worth buying

[ProperJobs89]

CNET has put together a pet tech roundup based on what its own pet owning staff have found most useful, which is a nice change from roundups that just list whatever is newest. Pet tech has grown into a big category over the past few years. There are smart feeders, water fountains, GPS collars, pet cameras that toss treats, self cleaning litter boxes and even AI collars that claim to spot health problems early. Some of it is brilliant, and some of it is expensive nonsense

I could not get a proper look at the full list before posting, so I would rather hear what everyone here uses. Real owners living with these products tend to give a more honest picture than marketing pages. A gadget that works for a calm cat might be useless for a destructive puppy. Reliability matters more than features when an animal depends on it

Smart feeders are the category I have the most mixed feelings about. They are great for keeping meal times consistent when you are working late, but if the app or Wi-Fi fails, a pet could miss a meal. The good ones have backup batteries and work without an internet connection. Pet cameras are similar, handy for peace of mind, but only if they are reliable and secure. Subscriptions have crept into this category too

GPS trackers seem like the most useful category for dog owners, especially for dogs that like to bolt. Litter boxes that clean themselves are popular with cat owners, though they are expensive and some cats refuse to go near them. AI health monitoring collars are the newest trend. They promise to track activity, sleep and scratching, which could flag health problems before you notice them

So over to you. What pet tech do you use and would recommend? What was a waste of money? And do you think AI health collars are useful or just another subscription to pay for?

Best Pet Tech Gadgets of 2026: CNET Staff Pickswww.cnet.com

[Stu97]

Smart feeders need a manual fallback. Ours ran out of battery during a power cut and the cats were not happy. Now I always check it has a backup. Two angry cats at 6am is not something I want to repeat