Petivity, a Purina-owned brand, has released a $150 smart pet feeder built specifically for cats that uses facial recognition and onboard cameras to identify which cat is eating and log portion sizes, frequency and timing. The system can distinguish up to five cats in one household, letting owners spot if one animal is stealing another's food, though it only dispenses dry kibble rather than wet food. Data on feeding patterns is delivered through a companion app, with the AI trained on tens of thousands of real feeding sessions and cat images.
Researchers led by Jonas Lescroart and Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz of the Programa de Investigación de Félidos Bolivia identified a new small feline species, Leopardus tilcayo, in the Bolivian Yungas, marking the first new cat species found in over a century. Nogales-Ascarrunz first noticed the animal at a wildlife rehabilitation center, mistaking it for a kitten before genetic testing revealed it didn't match any known species. The team also made new findings about tiger cat subspecies during the same research, published in Current Biology.
Neakasa unveiled Riko, a countertop device shown ahead of IFA 2026 in Berlin that rehydrates and mixes freeze-dried cat food into fresh wet meals on a schedule set through an app. The unit holds a water reservoir and food compartment sized for about a week's worth of meals, and sells for $200 through Neakasa's website.
Anker unveiled its Omni E35 robot vacuum at IFA Berlin 2026, which it says is the first robot vacuum certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The device also holds a TÜV Rheinland baby-grade certification for sterilization and dust mite elimination, and includes 35,000 pascals of suction plus a self-cleaning mop roller. It launches Sept. 25 for $1,100, with pre-orders opening Sept. 4.
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