Gizmo

Talk to Me Treatball for Cats and Dogs

Do your pets get bored while you are away and eat your furniture? I thought so. The Macs Talk to Me Treatball aims to give them a little entertainment and perhaps some security by talking to them in your voice. It has a little digital recorder built into it. To set it up, you press a little button and speak fond and encouraging words into the microphone for up to 15 seconds. Then you screw the recorder module into the ball. On one side of the ball is an opening where you fill the ball full of treats. Then you put it on the floor. When the pet taps the ball it triggers the voice recording. If the ball rolls over, it dispenses a treat.

In some very unscientific tests, I introduced it to four cats. Two were indifferent. One was scared of it. And another, young and rambunctious, loved it.

My cat was still a Canadian at the time, so I recruited a cat owner who loaned me her test cats. She suggested that the Talk to Me Treatball would likely do better in pastel colors than the primary colors they come in. She said if it clashes with your decor you’re not going to want it in your perfectly groomed designer living room. Then again we don’t all have those.

The other small problem is that if you use large treats they get stuck in the ball. I broke them into small bits, which made dispensing easier. The gadget comes in two sizes: 5.5-inch dog-sized ($20) and 3.5-inch cat-sized ($15) and has a replaceable button battery ($4).

Price: $10-$15 U.S.
Where to buy: Petsmart.com

-Andy Walker, Cyberwalker Media Syndicate

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Copyright © Cyberwalker Media Inc. 2002