Having a pet is a big responsibility. After all, you take them into your life and strip them of any ability to fend for themselves, with the understanding that you’ll make sure to meet all of their needs. However, sometimes when people get caught up in planning a big vacation or preparing for a new job, they forget about what might happen to their four-footed friend while they are away. On the other hand, you can’t give up your life outside of the home just to make Rover happy. What’s a responsible pet owner to do?
Well, home automation has the answer. Here are five ways that a properly designed smart home can become the best pet sitter around.
1. Internal Cameras
Sometimes taking good care of your pet is as simple as checking up on them to make sure that they’re alright. With home automation, pet owners can install multiple live feed cameras in their home, and access them from anywhere in the world, at any time. So whether you’re in Fiji soaking up the sun, or in between meetings at your office downtown, you can take a moment to use your mobile smart device to make sure that everything is going smoothly at home. You can even contact your pet through two-way communication features, and let them hear the reassuring sound of your voice.
2. Automated Feedings
If your concern has more to do with making sure that your pet gets fed at the right time, remote appliance control may be the answer. Special devices such as Pintofeed allow you to use your mobile device to set feeding times and to remotely prepare and serve meals that your pet will enjoy. It can even monitor how much of the food the animal eats, and inform you via text, Twitter, email, of Facebook messages.
3. Remote Door Locks
Of course, once your pet has eaten, they’ll have other pressing concerns that need to be addressed. If you don’t have some way to let your animal out into the yard to do his “business,” then you might come home to an unpleasant surprise. Remote door control can give you the power to let you pet outside at the push of a mobile-device button. You can also use this feature to let friends or neighbors into the house, when the time comes to take Rover for a walk.
4. Smart Thermostats
Part of taking care of a pet is making sure that they’re comfortable. If you’re away from home and the weather starts to change, you’ll need to be able to alter the temperature in the house accordingly to keep your animal happy. Smart thermostats can be controlled remotely, giving you the ability to make sure your friend stays hale and healthy, no matter how hot or cold things get outside.
5. Security
All of these wonders of pet-sitting science would be worthless if you couldn’t also guarantee your pet’s safety when you’re not around. New Automated security systems, such as outside cameras, motion detectors, alarms, and remote monitoring agencies that can contact the police if something doesn’t seem right are all part of the home automation pet defense. With a few of these smart systems protecting your property, you can make sure that your animal doesn’t have to deal with any uninvited guests while you’re away.
Featured images:
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: www.123rf.com
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: www.123rf.com
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: www.123rf.com
About Author: Lindsey Patterson, a freelance writer who specializes in technology and the latest social trends, specifically involving social media. She is currently a social media advisor to Vivint.