The Verge Guide to Pets

Ah, the relationship between animals and the technology they can’t quite understand.

Today, it seems like there’s a high-tech solution to every element of pet ownership, with devices on the market designed to keep pets fed, cleaned, watched over, and entertained. And if you have a pet you know: nothing is too good — or too cutting-edge — for your (furry, slimy, feathery) best friend.

But while some tech can help care for your pet, it can be complicated when dogs and cats meet wires and waves. You might feel complicated about offloading elements of kitten parenthood to a robot. Some pet tech innovations over-promise or are over-hyped. And of course, your puppy (or parrot) might well mistake your gadgets for a snack.

To that end, we’ve put together a week of stories that explore the intersection of technology and pet ownership. Read on for how to take a decent photograph of your cat, pet scales and the chunky companions who need them, and takes on our favorite tools, both simple and complex.

The $899 Litter-Robot 5 Pro is a great pooper-scooper wrapped in AI that just doesn’t work.

Sometimes he just wants attention. And sometimes he just wants to cause mayhem.

Gemini for Home promises its Nest cameras can recognize my cats by name — but it can’t tell Boone from Smokey, making pet-focused smart notifications and automations mostly useless.

The $899 Litter-Robot 5 Pro is a great pooper-scooper wrapped in AI that just doesn’t work.

Sometimes he just wants attention. And sometimes he just wants to cause mayhem.

Gemini for Home promises its Nest cameras can recognize my cats by name — but it can’t tell Boone from Smokey, making pet-focused smart notifications and automations mostly useless.