Modern Technologies That Animals Can Enjoy Too (2 of 5)

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.