(PRESS RELEASE) BURNSVILLE, MN – The pet industry has never been hotter. With sales expected to top $100 billion by 2020 and the average annual spend for non-food related items at $1,049 for dogs and $846 for cats, it’s clear that consumers are prioritizing pets in a whole new way. According to PetChatz, a leading pet technology company that pioneered the treat cam and digital daycare system, this affinity for pets goes beyond products to how consumers care for their pets while away.
Recently released user data from PetChatz shows that pet owners who have access to treat cam technology go beyond a visual check in on their pets and regularly use interactive features, such as dispensing treats, talking to their pets via videophone and automated interactive games while at work or traveling.
“The new generation of pet owners are digital natives and they are taking pet care to a whole new level by using on-demand, mobile technology to stay connected with their fur babies from afar, thus easing separation anxiety for pets and families,” said Lisa Lavin, PetChatz founder and CEO. “Our user data shows that people are doing more than simply checking to make sure Fido isn’t chewing on the furniture, they are interacting with pets and even scheduling virtual activities for them.”
PetChatz is an award-winning, patented, Greet & Treat videophone that allows pet parents to check in with their pets from anywhere, anytime via their smartphones, tablets or PCs. Parents can have two-way video chats, dispense treats, provide aromatherapy to their pets, play “Brain Games” with the PawCall accessory, talk to their pets, or schedule DOGTV programming to make sure their pet is happy and content. And because love is a two-way street, the PetChatz system also allows pets to press the PawCall button and send a message to their owner if they’re feeling lonely. The durable, pet-safe PetChatz system mounts flush to the wall over an electrical outlet or attaches to a kennel at eye-level ensuring pet safety and increasing peace of mind for the pet owner while they are away from their fur baby.
According to Lavin, PetChatz user data for 2018 showed:
- More than 1,600 PetChatz session per day
- Each session lasted 4 to 6 minutes, on average
- More than 2,600 treats dispensed per day
- More than 10 years’ worth of interaction time
- Monday is the most popular day for PawCall (call and game mode)
- PawCall call mode was used 30% more than game mode
- 40% of pet owners used chat mode, while 60% used silent mode
- 72% interacted with pets via an iOS device
“Pet owners increasingly view their furry friends as part of the family. They worry about their pet’s emotional and physical well-being the same way they would worry about a child and they want to minimize the impact of separation, when possible,” said Lavin.
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“This mindset and the sheer size of the millennial population represents a significant growth opportunity for the pet industry and PetChatz is a perfect fit for these new consumer preferences and lifestyles.”
Among millennials, who represent the largest segment of the pet-owning market, 51% say they buy their pets a gift at least once a month, and 71% say they would take a pay cut for the opportunity to bring their pet to work every day. For that audience, interactive treat cams offer reassurances that one-way webcams can’t match. With smartphone integration becoming the standard in everything from GPS-connected collars to health tracking apps, people are less willing to settle for simply seeing their pets, and it shows. Consider that half of pet owners who are aware of interactive pet toys own and use at least one such product while only 19% of owners who are aware of web cams use one.
To learn more treat cams or PetChatz, visit PetChatz.com.
