Innovative technologies like the CatsMe app and smart collars PetPace and Voyce are transforming pet health monitoring, ensuring our furry friends live healthier and longer lives. #PetHealth #AI #SmartCollars #CatsMe
Table of Contents
Introduction
You may know the joys and sorrows of a pet after raising it for a long time, but it is often difficult to see the pain of a pet. As someone who has always wanted to have a pet, I am particularly concerned about this issue.
Recently, I came across several innovative products that address this concern and would like to compare, analyze, and share them. One such product is the Japanese CatsMe application, which analyzes cats’ facial photos to assess their health. According to an interview with CatsMe user Mayumi Kitakata, “Even if there is pain, the pet will continue to eat.” This made her unaware that the cat was experiencing pain, thus missing the best time for treatment.


Additionally, there are smart wearable collars that monitor pets’ fever, pulse, breathing, pain, etc.
i. CatsMe
In Japan, there are nearly 16 million cats and dogs, exceeding the number of children under the age of 15. The shift in Japan’s demographic structure has further increased the role of pets in Japanese families. A new AI-driven application called CatsMe! is helping Japanese cat owners determine whether their pets are in pain. Professor Kazuya Edamura of Nihon University emphasized that more than 70% of elderly cats feel pain, but only 2% are taken to the veterinarian. “We use [the app] as a tool, not a final diagnosis, to let owners know if things are normal,” he noted.



The app uses a database of 6,000 images and is said to be over 95% accurate, making it a valuable tool for early diagnosis and treatment. Since its launch last year, the app has garnered more than 230,000 users, and developers expect accuracy to improve over time as the AI is trained on more cat faces.
ii. PetPace & Voyce
PetPace and Voyce are smart collars that can be programmed to monitor pets for specific diseases and are suitable for all dogs and cats weighing more than 8 pounds. The PetPace medical collar measures a pet’s vital signs and other information to look for signs of pain. Abnormal conditions trigger notifications to the owner via phone, text, or email. Similarly, Voyce tracks health information such as a dog’s limb twitching or lack of movement, which can prompt an alarm notification.


One limitation of smart collars is their power supply. Currently, the battery life ranges from two days to eight weeks, and each charge takes about 2 hours. This makes them more suitable for tracking pets’ status when the owner is not at home.
iii. Some Thoughts
Pets can’t talk, so when they are in pain or sick, it is often hard to tell unless the condition is severe. While I have some doubts about the accuracy of CatsMe, it is remarkable that it can judge pain expression using a database of just over 6,000 cat facial images. The nature of AI is that the more relevant data it has, the higher its accuracy. As these technologies become more widespread, our pets will likely be healthier and live longer lives.
Extended Readings
[1] https://cpd.carelogy-japan.com/index/en
[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-30442-0
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vow89RuRn24
[4] https://petpace.com/about/
[5] https://onehealthgroup.com/voyce/
[6] https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2015/09/02/new-collars-monitor-pets-for-pain-problems/