Ding, ding, ding! Dinner is ready. Fresh out of a cold can.
Petlibro, a pet tech startup that designs automatic food and water dispensers for cats, launched its first refrigerated smart feeder on Thursday. The company's new Polar Wet Food Feeder aims to solve a widely known problem among pet owners: how to keep wet food fresh while your cat is away.
Although dry cat food can be kept outside for extended periods of time, scientists theorize that cats prefer wet food because it resembles their natural diet. Some pet parents also avoid dry kibble because of its high carbohydrate content. However, if you leave wet food out while you're away, bacteria can grow and spoil it. Owners can rest assured that they can feed their pampered cats fresh food that won't make them sick, without using ice packs.
“The value of incorporating wet food into your cat's diet cannot be underestimated, especially when it comes to weight management, digestion, urinary tract health, etc.,” says Christy Long, Chief Medical Officer at Modern Animal. he said in a statement. “What Petlibro has developed with Polar is a game-changer for both cats and pet parents.”
Image credit: Petlibro
Polar has three compartments that can hold up to 22.2 ounces of food (7.4 ounces per serving), allowing owners to be on the go for up to 72 hours without the need for a pet sitter. Using semiconductor cooling technology, this device keeps food cold (30-50°F). Additionally, the bowl tray is made from BPA-free plastic and is dishwasher safe.
The included mobile app allows owners to control the Wi-Fi enabled smart feeder via iOS and Android devices. Thanks to motion detection technology, you can customize your pet's feeding schedule and receive notifications when your cat starts eating. Also note that if the user is out and her Wi-Fi goes out, the app will notify the user that the device is offline. Even in the event of a power outage, Polar will keep your food cold for 12 hours.
During our week of testing, we found the app to be reliable and never once missed a feeding time. This device is not very loud and only emits a low hum that can be easily ignored while sleeping at night. One drawback is that she has three compartments. This can be a problem for owners who feed their pet multiple times a day. Catsomat and Happy Llama Tech, similar products found on Indiegogo, have twice the number of compartments.
Polar costs $129.99 and is available at petlibro.com and Amazon.
Image credit: Petlibro
Time-controlled feeding devices for pets first appeared in the 1940s, and automatic feeding devices for horses were invented in 1997. After several decades, the time has come for modern technology companies to develop advanced refrigeration devices for cats.
With the majority of cat owners purchasing wet food, Petribro's new products address a growing market. The wet pet food industry reached approximately $35 billion in 2023 (with cat food accounting for 61% of the total market). According to Petlibro's own data, customers were highly requesting automatic refrigerated feeders. Of the more than 900 survey participants, 56% of cat parents said the biggest drawback to using wet food was keeping it fresh.
“If you look at the pet tech industry, there's not a lot of innovation happening,” Petlibro founder and CEO York Wu told TechCrunch. “We spent several years refining the concept [of Polar], we test and develop our products to make sure they're safe…I think this will revolutionize the way people feed their pets. ”
Since selling its first product at the end of 2022, Petlibro has sold more than 3 million devices. The company sold more than 1 million units in 2023 alone.