A Purr-fect Purchase: Connected Pet Toys, Automated Feeders Are Most Popular Pet Tech Devices, Says CTA

 Interactive toys, automated feeders, grooming devices, vet- and pet-health apps and pet GPS are the pet tech devices pet owners say they’re most likely to buy in the next year, according to a new report from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). The report, Pet Technology: Ownership, Use and Perceptions, says a desire for safety and peace of mind is driving consumers’ pet tech purchases. 
 
Pet Tech Market Potential
CTA projects the market for emerging U.S. pet tech, which includes devices that are used to monitor, entertain, feed or track the activity of household pets, will sell 4.3 million units in 2018 (up 20 percent over last year) and earn $233 million in revenue (18 percent increase).
 
“The nascent pet technology category has burst on to the scene with triple-digit unit sales increases last year,” says Lesley Rohrbaugh, director of market research, CTA. “Safety and peace of mind are the biggest drivers of future pet tech purchases, as seen by the interest in automated feeders, vet and pet safety apps, pet GPS’ and more. As awareness of this technology grows and pet owners better understand all the benefits tech can deliver to their furry loved ones, the potential for this category will continue to climb.”


How Do Pet Owners Shop? 
The CTA study shows most pet owners discover and plan to shop for pet tech in brick-and-mortar stores. Seventy-two percent of pet owners are most likely to purchase pet tech from a physical retail pet store, followed by 48 percent who plan to shop at an online-only retailer and 40 percent who plan to shop at a physical mass merchant store.
 
Cats vs. Dogs 
Both cat and dog owners are willing to use tech to address pet issues. Dog owners say training is the largest issue pet tech should solve (35 percent), and cat owners note monitoring their cat’s nutrition as their biggest priority (32 percent). And of those who own pet tech, cat owners use their pet tech (45 percent use pet tech at least once a day) more often than dog owners (35 percent of dog owners).
 
Next-Gen Pet Tech  
Looking ahead, when it comes to the likelihood of pet owners using emerging pet tech:
·         46 percent use an app or software based platform that delivers pet health data directly to vet.
·         40 percent use pet tech for philanthropic reasons, such as finding shelters for rescued strays after natural disasters.
·         29 percent use a pet DNA home testing kit.
 
CTA’s 2018 Pet Technology: Ownership, Use and Perception report presents the findings of a quantitative study to an online national sample of 2,000 adults. A complete report is available at no cost to CTA members at CTA.tech/research.