The lives of cat parents who miss interacting with Fluffy while away from home will forever be changed in 2014.
Kittyo has announced its plan to launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund its high-tech, chic cat product by the same name in early 2014. Kittyo will allow the more than 36.1 million U.S. cat parents, and even those around the world, to connect and interact with their furry companions while they’re away from home no matter the distance.
Lee Miller, Kittyo inventor, said he came up with the concept while pet sitting a friend’s cat while she was away.
“It just hit me; there’s got to be a way to allow cat parents to interact with their cats while they’re at work or on the road traveling,” he said. “Cats are members of the family, so it’s hard for cat parents to simply say goodbye for long periods of time, especially for the 55% of Americans who have more than one cat.”
Kittyo, although technologically advanced, can be easily operated by apps on any iOS - or Android-enabled smartphone. Once the app connects with Kittyo, cat parents can:
● Attract the cat to Kittyo through sound or direct communication
● View their cat via the embedded webcam
● Record videos and take photos of the cat while at play
● Enable the interactive laser pointer to add fun and exercise to the cat’s day
● Dispense treats
Kittyo will feature a design that complements any home’s interior due to Miller’s partnership with style and design innovators Ion Product Development.
“This is an exciting opportunity to design a really fun product that incorporates a lot of cutting-edge technology, including mobile connectivity,” Steven Bellofatto, Ion co-founder and product development lead, said. “Lee Miller challenged the ION design team to come up with a distinctive and iconic product design that would look terrific in any home. It’s always great to partner with a company that has high design standards.”
And with great design and innovation comes great interest. Miller said he anticipates a large demand for this first-of-its-kind product, which is currently in pre-release development. Currently, cat parents can sign up at Kittyo.com to be updated about how to purchase Kittyo at an introductory discounted price. 
