Sure Petcare, the leading pet technology specialist, has announced today the launch of its latest product in its connected range, FELAQUA CONNECT – a unique water delivery and drinking monitoring system for cats. FELAQUA CONNECT, designed in collaboration with leading veterinary behaviourists, allows cat owners to keep track of their cats’ daily water intake via the SURE PETCARE App, while the smart water delivery system provides the cat with a source of fresh water.
Each cat is registered to FELAQUA CONNECT via their microchip. FELAQUA CONNECT integrates with the SURE PETCARE app via a Hub, which allows the App to “talk” to the device and record the registered cat’s drinking behaviour such as which cat drank, what time it drank, and how much it drank. It also provides reports on the cat’s overall drinking patterns on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. With this information, cat owners can easily detect any changes in their cat’s drinking patterns. The SURE PETCARE App also sends reminder notifications to fill the reservoir of FELAQUA CONNECT when the water is low, and water freshness reminders to encourage cleaning of the device.
FELAQUA CONNECT has several cat-friendly features, including a wide, shallow bowl that mimics a natural puddle and presents water in a way that is more appealing and easier to drink than from a conventional bowl. The bowl is also water repellent causing the water to bead – in the same way, that water stands upon a newly polished car – making it reflect and glisten and be more attractive to cats.
The water is kept fresh in an air-tight, gravity-fed reservoir that releases water into the bowl as it is needed. Because the device is battery powered, there are no cables or need for an electrical power source, so the device can be located in any part of the home to best meet the cat’s drinking needs.
Dr Jon Bowen and Dr Jaume Fatjó, leading veterinary behaviourists, were involved in the design and development of FELAQUA CONNECT. Dr Bowen said, “FELAQUA CONNECT provides a window into your cat’s health and reaffirms the importance of hydration as a health indicator. A change in water consumption is the most concerning health indicator in middle-aged and senior cats. Fluctuations in intake can be a sign of illnesses such as diabetes or kidney disease, and the sooner we intervene the better the outcome. Proper hydration is essential to maintain a cat’s health.
“In a recent survey, we found that 65 per cent of cat owners didn’t know that kidney disease is the most common cause of death in cats of five years of age or older. Only 3.4 per cent of cat owners recognised all of the main signs of dehydration and, even more alarmingly, over half of the owners were not aware that an increase in thirst was a sign of dehydration. Sixty per cent of cat owners in our survey said they couldn’t give the vet an accurate answer about how much their cat drinks each day. Given that an increase in drinking is the primary indicator of kidney disease, and accurate information is essential for a speedy diagnosis, it’s likely that a lot of kidney disease is going undetected for too long.
“A device like FELAQUA CONNECT tells you if your cat is drinking more or less than usual. It’s this insight that is invaluable and provides peace of mind that they are drinking regularly,” Dr Bowen said.
FELAQUA CONNECT is available from Sure Petcare’s website from today and leading pet suppliers later in the year. The Hub can also be purchased separately from the website.
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