NEW YORK, Aug. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OnlyPet today announced the U.S. launch of its Pet Companion Robot, an app-controlled mobile robot that owners can drive through accessible indoor areas to where a cat has settled. Owners can use physical teaser wands, a built-in laser, a Pet Flat tail-style interactive toy or a door-mounted toy to play with the cat. The robot does not independently search for a hidden pet; the owner remains in control of movement and interaction. It is not simply a surveillance upgrade. It is a new way to participate remotely in a pet’s daily life—from an office, a hotel room or after a long workday.
The Difference: The Owner Can Remotely Drive the OnlyPet Robot to the Cat
Most fixed pet cameras wait for a cat to enter a single field of view. OnlyPet works differently: the camera moves with the robot as the owner drives it through accessible indoor areas. If the cat is behind the couch, in the bedroom or anywhere outside a fixed frame, a stationary camera shows an empty room. That is not a camera-quality problem; it is a category limitation.
The owner steers OnlyPet from the app—across the floor, around the corner and through accessible areas to where the cat has settled. OnlyPet does not autonomously search for a hidden pet. Once she is on screen, play can start with a teaser wand, a laser or a Pet Flat tail-style interactive toy. A session fits into a lunch break. Owners who travel frequently can remotely control OnlyPet from their hotel room.
That is the difference between presence and monitoring.
Designed for Everyday Remote Connection
For owners managing workdays or travel, OnlyPet provides more than a fixed view. A May 2022 YouGov survey of 569 U.S. pet owners found that 40% felt anxious leaving pets home alone during the day. With OnlyPet, owners can drive to accessible indoor areas, check live video, use two-way voice or a saved recording, and start a short play session from the app.
The same owner-directed tools can be used when a cat has restless energy or becomes active at night. Interchangeable teaser toys, the Pet Flat tail-style interactive toy, a door-mounted toy controller and manual laser play provide several ways to direct attention toward movement and play. Owners can also schedule play for a selected time. A 2023 American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey found that 33% of U.S. adults said pets “always” or “often” disrupted sleep; scheduling is intended to help owners build play into a routine, not to guarantee a behavioral or sleep outcome.
Owner-Directed Interaction
The AAFP/ISFM feline environmental needs guidelines identify play and opportunities to express predatory behavior as important parts of a healthy indoor environment. OnlyPet applies that principle through owner-directed movement, voice and physical play. The Pet Companion Robot is an interaction and enrichment product; it is not a medical device or a substitute for veterinary care.
Early Product Testing
OnlyPet conducted a small, randomized, exploratory 28-day home test involving 20 healthy indoor cats aged 1–6 years, following a seven-day baseline period. Ten cats received two owner-directed OnlyPet play sessions per day, while 10 received matched-time owner voice interaction through a fixed camera and access to static toys.
Using prespecified behavioral definitions and event-frequency recording, reviewers counted three behaviors—off-limits scratching, knocking objects over and pushing objects off surfaces—during fixed observation windows outside scheduled interaction sessions. Video clips were randomly coded, and at least 20% of the clips were independently reviewed by a second rater to check scoring consistency.
Comparing the seven-day baseline period with the final seven days of the intervention, the mean within-cat event frequency declined by 25.3% in the OnlyPet group and 2.1% in the comparison group, a descriptive net difference of 23.2 percentage points. Seven of the 10 cats in the OnlyPet group met the prespecified threshold of at least a 20% reduction, compared with none of the 10 cats in the comparison group. These small-sample findings provide an encouraging early signal for the complete owner-directed OnlyPet interaction experience and will inform larger, longer-term evaluations. Individual responses may vary.
Supporting the Hours Between In-Person Visits
Pet sitters and other caregivers provide essential in-person services, including feeding, fresh water, litter care and health checks during scheduled visits. OnlyPet is not a replacement for that care. It gives owners another way to check in, speak and start short interactions before, after and between visits—including from work or a hotel room—so remote participation can cover more of the hours when no caregiver is present.
How It Works
OnlyPet drives on flat indoor floors, navigates obstacles up to 11 mm, including door thresholds and rug edges, and rights itself automatically if knocked over—a tumbler-style chassis built for life with a cat. The base detaches for easy cleaning.
2K video with night vision runs smoothly via WebRTC-powered technology. The robot supports dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi. Physical accessories include interchangeable teaser wands, a Pet Flat tail-style interactive toy, a door-mounted toy controller and a built-in laser—all owner-directed. Privacy controls in the app let owners independently disable video, local recording and cloud recording. Three days of rolling cloud storage are included at no additional cost. The device also supports local microSD storage, while an optional annual plan ($14.90/year) provides longer cloud history. A creator collaboration shows the OnlyPet Pet Companion Robot in a real home, including app-controlled movement and interactive play. View the original Instagram Reel.
“Nobody buys this because they want more video of an empty couch,” said Forest, CEO of OnlyPet. “They want to connect with her, do something when she’s tearing around the house and leave for work feeling a little less guilty. We built a companion robot you do something with—not one you just watch.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How is OnlyPet different from a regular pet camera? A pet camera waits for the cat to walk into frame. With OnlyPet, the owner can drive through accessible areas to where the cat is resting—and then actually play.
Does it require a subscription? No mandatory subscription is required. Core interaction features, including remote control, two-way voice and manual laser play, remain available without a paid plan. Three days of rolling cloud storage are included at no additional cost, while an optional annual plan extends cloud playback history.
Does it independently search for a hidden pet? No. The owner drives it through accessible areas to where the cat is resting. Once she is on screen, in-view follow helps keep her framed.
Is my video private? Video is stored on U.S.-based servers and is visible only to the account holder. Video, local recording and cloud recording can each be disabled independently in the app.
Pricing and Availability
OnlyPet is priced at US$199 and is available now at theonlypet.com. The company offers free U.S. shipping, 30-day returns and a one-year warranty.
About OnlyPet
OnlyPet builds active companionship technology for indoor cats and the people who care for them. Its Pet Companion Robot combines owner-directed movement, 2K live video, two-way voice and physical play, moving connected pet care beyond passive monitoring.
The company is developing an interconnected set of behavioral enrichment tools centered on movement, choice, play and interaction, with the goal of helping owners remain present in their pets’ daily lives from anywhere.
Join the #OnlyPetBuddy community on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, or learn more at theonlypet.com.
Media Contact:
Forest
Founder and CEO, OnlyPet
Email: [email protected]
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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