New technologies address pets' toilet needs

By ALMA J. BUELVA

​​AT the recent Intrapets show in Tokyo, several companies exhibited pet products that are normally kept out of sight: pet toilets. But made automatic, some even fitted with data-collecting features, the new pet toilets and accessories gave the old standard litter box and dog pee mats their much-awaited upgrades so that they are now must-have products designed for pet loving homes.

Pet toilets are becoming smarter and more ergonomic.

First is the Wan-wan Meister which claims to be the world's first fully-automated pet toilet. Developed by Japan First Step Co., Ltd., the flat-bed toilet features self-winding absorbent sheets made from  special paper. It also has indicator lamps, a waste tray and sensors. 

The Wan-wan meister provides indoor pets their personal toilet that "flushes" on its own by rolling away soiled sheets. (Photo by MetroPets)

​Designed for indoor use, particularly in small apartments or condominiums, the Wan-wan Meister automatically rolls away soiled sheets and brings forth fresh ones thanks to its built-in sensitivity sensors that controls the conveyor belt. The sensors work the moment the dog leaves the platform. 

This product allows a home, especially where a dog has to stay alone for hours, to stay tidy by cleaning after the dog with very minimal human intervention. However, the Wan-wan Meister comes with a steep price tag: JP¥188,000. (see related story)

Not to be outdone, Sharp Corp. also displayed its smart toilet for cats. Driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, the Pet Care Monitor can analyze a cat's urine and frequency, body weight as well as detect health problems early on. It sends a report to the cat owner's smartphone.​

Sharp's Pet Care Monitor is a high-tech cat litter box that can analyze health indicators like the cat's quality and frequency of urine.

​Built-in sensors allow the Pet Care Monitor to gather relevant information, be it good or bad, which are to be analyzed by Sharp experts and their counterparts at Tottori University. For all these great features, the Pet Care Monitor is priced at 24,800 yen ($225), plus tax. Sharp will also charge users a monthly JP¥300 plus tax. 

Also making heads turn during Interpets is the patented Kitty Twist'r, a litter disposal system that makes cat poop its primary business. Michelle Yan, COO of Red Rocket Asia which makes the Kitty Twist'r, told MetroPets that they could guarantee a no-smell cat litter bin even if cat owners collect two weeks of cat poop there. 

The Kitty Twist'r is a smart cat litter disposable bin that can lock in bad odors while saving cat owners time and money.

 -- ​Who wants to store that many cat poop? Probably no one, but the Kitty Twist'r at least gives cat owners  a way not to keep using plastic bag every time they need to dispose their kitty's “No. 2”. Masking the almost unbearable cat waste stench are activated charcoals kept at the Kitty Twist'r cover. The active charcoal can last for up to three months. 

After every use, the Kitty Twist'r can wring the opening of its seven-layer plastic garbage bag so no bad smells can escape. 

For the convenience of not taking out the cat's trash daily, the Kitty Twist'r will set back cat owners around US$44.99. -- MetroPets