Felaqua Connect Helps Cat Owners Monitor Hydration
Cats typically don’t have a high thirst drive, which can lead to chronic, low-grade dehydration and cause conditions such as kidney problems, feline lower urinary tract disease, and bladder stones. Monitoring a cat’s water intake can help prevent these issues, since the problems can be addressed before significant damage occurs. In addition, by monitoring a cat’s water intake, owners can detect drinking habit changes that can indicate health problems such as dental disease, diabetes, and kidney disease. Advances in veterinary care and improved owner compliance mean that cats now live well into their senior years, with many middle-aged and senior cats suffering from hydration-related illnesses that can be better recognized and managed by carefully monitoring their water intake. Last year, Sure Petcare, a pet technology specialist, launched Felaqua Connect to help cat owners accurately measure their cat’s water intake.
Sure Petcare
Founded in 2007 by Dr. Nick Hill, a British quantum physicist, Sure Petcare has launched many products to help solve common pet owner problems, including:
- SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap — In 2008, Sure Petcare released this product, which was designed to give cats outdoor access without allowing other animals to enter the house.
- SureFlap Microchip Pet Door — In 2011, the company released a model that allowed small dogs access outdoors, but did not allow other animals to intrude. A curfew mode allowed owners to enable the door to lock and unlock at specific times, and to avoid getting up throughout the night.
- SureFeed products — In 2014, using the microchip reading technology from the pet door range, the company developed a feeder that ensured a specific pet ate the food. This product is good for pets in multi-pet households who are on weight management or prescription diets. The Sealed Pet Bowl was added in 2015 to keep food fresher and insect-free.
- SureFlap Microchip Pet Door Connect — In 2017, Sure Petcare launched the first app-controlled microchip pet door.
Felaqua
In March 2021, SurePet launched Felaqua, a unique water delivery and drinking monitoring system for cats designed in collaboration with veterinary behaviorists Dr. Jon Bowen and Dr. Jaume Fatjo. Felaqua allows cat owners to accurately monitor their cat’s daily water intake via an app. Each cat’s microchip is registered to the Felaqua Connect system, which integrates with the Sure Petcare app via an internet hub, and records information, such as which cat drank, what time the cat drank, and how much the cat drank, to help detect a cat’s drinking pattern changes. The app also reminds owners to refill the reservoir when the water is low, and about water freshness to encourage them to clean the device. Felaqua encourages cats to drink with several cat-friendly features, including:
- Wide, shallow bowl — The wide, shallow bowl mimics a natural puddle, making the water more appealing to your cat, and preventing their sensitive whiskers from touching the sides.
- Water repellent bowl — The bowl is water repellent, which makes the water bead on the surface and reflect and glisten, which cats find appealing.
- Fresh water — The water is kept fresh in an air-tight gravity-fed reservoir until the cat is ready to drink.
- Preferred location — The battery-powered device can be placed anywhere in the house that best suits the cat.
- Open access — Felaqua can be used by any household cat in the home, because the integrated microchip reader can recognize individual pets and monitor each cat’s water intake.
Sure Petcare App
The Sure Petcare App can be downloaded and paired with Felaqua Connect, so owners can track their cat’s water habits on their smartphone. Pages include:
- Home — The home page displays each cat’s profile.
- Dashboard — The dashboard provides the cat’s drinking behavior, and allows the user to compare the cat’s daily intake to their “normal” day.
- Insights — This page displays how much, how often, and when the cat drank, and helps identify drinking pattern changes.
- Users — Owners can grant access to friends, family, and pet sitters.
- Timeline — The page displays details such as the exact times a cat drank from the device, as well as water freshness and refill notifications.
Frequently asked questions about Felaqua
To provide further insight, we answer some frequently asked questions about Felaqua:
- How is a cat trained to use Felaqua? — Some cats may be wary of the bubbling noise, and their owners may need to first fill the bowl manually, let their cat get used to the device, and then turn on the device and let the water flow from the reservoir into the bowl.
- What is involved in cleaning Felaqua? — Owners should clean the bowl and reservoir by hand with hot soapy water or in the dishwasher at least twice a week.
- Where should the Felaqua be placed? — Felaqua should be placed on a flat surface away from the wall, in a quiet area where the cat feels comfortable.
- What batteries are used in Felaqua? — The device operates on four good-quality 1.5 V LR14 alkaline “C” cells—rechargeable batteries should not be used. Typical battery life with normal use is about six months, and a light to the right of the reservoir fill flashes red every five seconds when the batteries need to be replaced.
- How many microchips can be stored in Felaqua? — The device can store up to 32 microchips.
Cat owners can use Felaqua to easily track their cats’ water intake and detect changes in the cats’ drinking habits that could indicate serious health issues. Owners can then seek veterinary care before their cat’s condition is advanced, which provides their pet with a better prognosis.
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