Gifting Guide Day 17: Interacting With Your Furbaby

Disability friendly products for you and your pet.

When pets are a part of the family we want to make sure that everyone can take part in loving the furry family member. Below are some cool products we found that can help!

Image of Furbo dog camera shooting a treat to a yorkie, Image reads "Alexa ask Furbo to toss a treat every hour"

Smart Treat Dispenser/Camera

  • If you have a lot of anxiety (like me) about leaving your pet family at home then a camera is a great tool to check in on them. But what if virtual interaction with a pet could ease an anxiety attack, debilitating anxiety about being away from one’s comfort zone, or other behavioral symptoms resulting from a disability?
  • Furbo has taken that a step further and not only included the opportunity to talk to your pet through the device but it can also send them treats!
  • Automated treat dispensing isn’t just useful for when you’re away but it also helps if you have difficulty manipulating or accessing treats in person. The treats can be dispensed via the app or Furbo can also connect with Alexa to allow you to dispense treats by voice.
  • There are a variety of cameras and dog treat dispensers on the market so be sure to find one that fits your needs!

Find out more and where to buy at Furbo.

A rabbit interacting with a treat puzzle

Interactive Reward Puzzles

  • One of the things I found most difficult about having puppies while also having a disability that causes chronic fatigue and pain is keeping them entertained when I had zero energy pr too much pain at the end of the day. Enter: reward puzzles.
  • Interactive toys and reward puzzles require your pet to seek and solve the various buttons, trap doors, or interactions to “release” the motivating food reward.
  • The toys/puzzles come in a variety of challenge levels so if your pet is figuring them out in 2.7 seconds like my papillon then it’s time to up the challenge level!

Find a variety of options at Amazon, Chewy, or your favorite pet store.

a cat sitting next to an automatic food dispenser

Food Dispenser

  • If you find it difficult to manage the large pet food bags or manipulating to scoop out portions daily, consider an automatic food dispenser.
  • There are a variety of options available that can either be set up on a schedule or controlled via an app. Be sure to research which features will best suit your needs!

Find a variety of options at Amazon, Chewy, or your favorite pet store.

a bone shaped toy with illustrations of how it's operated by phone

Robot Toys

  • If your pet loves to play fetch or chase things then look for toys that can be activated by motion, remote, or an app. These features make it more accessible for you to interact with your pet without physically interacting with the toy. Super fun and rewarding for you both!
  • TIP: If you struggle with low vision look for toys that make sound or light up so you can help your pet locate a lost toy.
  • TIP: If you have limited fine motor look for toys that have large activation buttons (or that perhaps…could be modified by your favorite rehab engineer for ability switches)

Find a variety of options at Amazon, Chewy, or your favorite pet store.

Ashley is a member of the disability community and is an avid disability advocate. She has worked as a Rehabilitation Engineer and Assistive Technology Specialist at the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services since 2010. She also now serves as the Project Coordinator for APTAT. She earned a masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama and a bachelors in Materials Engineering from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. She welcomes any opportunity to mentor members of the disability community, teach about assistive technology, and promote rehab engineering. She also loves dogs, writing, and cooking!