Every indoor cat owner has felt it — that gnawing, guilt-inducing sensation that you're simply not providing enough entertainment or exercise for your homebound hunter. Kitty has grown bored with the feathers-on-a-fishing-rod toy, and you're not even around to wield it for most of the day. What to do?
Enter Egg, a Kickstarter project that bills itself as a cat companion rather than a cat toy. The brainchild of electrical engineer Jason O'Mara, Egg is a USB-powered, rechargeable device that rolls around, mimicking the erratic movements of a small animal. If it senses that your cat is on the brink of catching it, Egg will make a break for freedom while emitting alarmed squeaking noises.
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"Pet stores offer you cheap and rather uninteresting balls," writes O'Mara. "Egg is designed to be your cat's favorite toy."
O'Mara posted the project on Kickstarter on Dec. 26, asking for $15,000 in funding. Currently the project is oversubscribed to the tune of $64,000 — despite the fact that O'Mara has provided little more than an amateur video of two cats playing with an Egg.
Clearly, there are a lot of bored felines out there.
How much will Egg cost? We don't know yet, but O'Mara says one Egg with all its parts — including gearmotor, weight, circuit board, battery and 3D-printed eggshell — should cost him $31. Early Kickstarter supporters will get the gadget at cost price.
A USB charge should be enough to power Egg for one day of play, O'Mara says. And if kitty starts to get bored even with Egg's erratic actions, the device can be programmed for different activities while plugged into your laptop.
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Image: Jason Paul Smith