Modern Technologies That Animals Can Enjoy Too

The internet transformed our lives, giving us instant access to knowledge, streaming, and social connections. But what if tech isn’t just for us humans? Turns out, our animal buddies are getting into the digital world too! With their keen eyes, ears, and curious brains, lots of species can recognize shapes and sounds on screens, vibe to music, or even play some games. From parrots making FaceTime calls to pigs having fun with joysticks, here are ten cool tech things that our furry and feathered friends are learning to enjoy.

AI Robot Companions

First, we had auto-feeders that would spit out food for our pets twice per day, and thise vibrating balls that kept going missing all the time, but now, it’s time for the next wave of pet tech to roll in—the AI-powered robots! This gadget doesn’t just serve food, it chats with your dog, tracks habits, and even trains them. The linked app lets owners watch live video and get health alerts if routines look off. For once, here’s an AI taking jobs no human really wants (professional full-time kibble dispenser).

Podcasts for Dogs

If there are people who listen to Joe Rogan’s podcast, why not give dogs one? Psychologist Alex Benjamin at the University of York helped create My Dog’s Favourite Podcast after studying how different voices and vocal settings can affect a dog’s mood. The show features soothing voices telling stories and throwing out “who’s a good boy” once every few minutes, layered over chill music and ambient sounds of nature. It calms the doggos down and masks scary noises like slamming doors. Think of it as Spotify’s chill playlist, but instead of making you move your hips, it makes all the puppers’ tails wag.

Video Calls for Birds

Have you ever tried to make a parrot shut up? It’s impossible, especially if there’s a bunch of them. But not all people take bird couples from the pet store, which means a lot of those feathery babies are living a very lonely life. In 2023, an international group of researchers at Northeastern University, Glasgow, and MIT taught 18 pet parrots how to use video calls. A couple weeks later, 15 birds could dial their “friends” and the other three were probably just too lazy to do it. Some chirped together, others showed off their cool toys, and then there were those who educated their screen buddies on how to use “tools” and forage for food. Many called the same bird repeatedly, proving they actually made friends. Basically, parrots invented Zoom hangouts.

Complex Video Games for Chimps

Chimps are just like us, in the sense that they also love to compete. In 2015, researchers dropped these clever apes into a virtual reality maze where they’d compete against kids. Despite having less practice time, the chimps kept getting better, and one remarkable 22-year-old chimp even outperformed everyone in the room. Unlike pigs, who are also very smart, these chimps were motivated by their natural curiosity and knack for problem-solving, not just the promise of rewards. Watch out for new stars on streaming sites like Twitch, because soon they’ll be beating you in Fortnight!

TV for Dolphins

In 2018, Florida marine biologists did the unthinkable: they started showing rescued dolphins TV shows and movies. Some of the dolphins were visibly annoyed with what was shown on the screen, while others were hooked. They loved the drama! This quirky experiment proved that, much like humans, dolphins have personal preferences, so potentially each of them would have different video recommendations on YouTube.

Video Sharing with Gorillas

In 2017, a Louisville Zoo visitor discovered that gorillas love phone videos. An adult gorilla started watching cute clips of baby gorillas, even asking the zookeepers to skip the video or play it again. It wasn’t just random curiosity, as the gorilla clearly knew the difference between live humans and videos. Basically, it was doing the zoo version of scrolling TikTok.

Simple Video Games for Pigs

As it turns out, pigs are smart enough to play basic video games. In a 2021 study, pigs used joysticks with their snouts to move onscreen cursors. At first, they were rewarded with food. But even after the dispenser broke, the pigs kept playing when encouraged. They weren’t great at it (thumbs would’ve helped), but the fact they could play at all is pretty incredible.

Artificial Limbs (for Monkeys)

Back in 2011, researchers went bananas and decided to teach rhesus monkeys to control a virtual arm using only brain signals. It’s basically a super villain power in the hands (or mind) of a monkey. After messing around with the joystick, this little guy used nothing but its thoughts to grab objects on a screen, even feeling textures thanks to brain feedback. The study was designed for humans, but it showed just how adaptable animals are with tech.

Music Streaming for Cats

If you’re making tech gadgets for cats, it either has to make a chirping noise, have a laser pointer, or yeet food at your furry companions. But what about music? Right away, cats do not want to listen to “human music,” but they do enjoy certain tunes, as long as they’re written just for them. Composer David Teie created “cat music” based on feline vocal ranges and communication sounds. Studies showed cats ignored Bach but perked up at Teie’s purr-like rhythms and meow-inspired melodies. His albums are now streaming, so try it out on your kitty!