31/05/2026
Imagine your cat suddenly sending a notification to your phone that says: "I'm hungry." Or your cat alerting you with: "I'm anxious today."
That idea may sound like something straight out of the future, but a Chinese startup called Meng Xiaoyi says it is trying to turn that into reality with an AI-powered pet collar called PettiChat.
The lightweight 27.2-gram device is designed to be worn by dogs and cats and uses built-in microphones to capture sounds and behavioral patterns. The information is then analyzed through Alibaba Cloud's Qwen AI model and sent to a smartphone app for owners to read.
But the company says it is not actually translating pets word-for-word into human language. Instead, PettiChat claims to identify emotional states and needs behind behaviors, including things like excitement, hunger, fear, stress, and anxiety.
The startup says the technology reaches an accuracy rate of 94.6% in recognizing these emotional signals and could eventually help owners better understand their pets or even detect potential health concerns earlier.
The device is priced at 799 yuan, around $118, and interest appears to be growing quickly. Reports say the collar has already received more than 10,000 reservations since preorders opened.
Still, many researchers and online users remain skeptical. The company has not yet released peer-reviewed scientific research independently confirming the claims, leaving many people wondering whether technology is truly close to translating what animals feel.
But whether people believe it or not, one thing is certain: millions of pet owners have spent years staring at their dogs and cats thinking the same thing...
"I wish you could just tell me what's wrong." ❤️🐾
