I tried the $99 robot cat, Hasbro's solution for lonely grandparents, and it was strangely comforting
This month, Hasbro launched a new line of"Companion Pets," which it's positioning for older people who might feel lonely. Right now Hasbro only has cats, which cost $99.99 and are available on Hasbro's site, Joy for All, and on Amazon.
You can buy one of three Companion Pet cats: Creamy White Cat, Silver Cat with White Mitts, and Orange Tabby Cat.
On Friday evening I came home and the robotic cat was on my doorstep from Hasbro. Hasbro sent me the Orange Tabby Cat.
I ripped open the packaging and found my robot cat tucked inside with some information on how he'd interact with me.
He's meant for all ages, 5 through 105. He has a light sensor and he lets out a little sigh when the room goes dark. He also purrs like a real cat.
I couldn't wait to take him out of the box. I wracked my brain for a fitting name. All I came up with was "Robo Cat."
I freed Robo Cat from his box cage. Robo Cat appeared just as startled to meet me as I was to meet him.
Here's Robo Cat in all his glory. He has sensors all over and the metal in his back kind of feels like an actual spine when you pet him. He's soft, although he doesn't feel like an actual cat. He feels like an ordinary stuffed animal.
Of course the first thing I did with my robot cat was take a selfie.
Then I turned over Robo Cat and figured out how to switch him on. There were no batteries that needed to be installed; Hasbro already took care of that. I flipped the switch under his belly to "On" and Robo Cat came to life.
I approached Robo Cat timidly at first. I wasn't sure what he was capable of. Could he walk? Could he pounce? I patted his foot, then his nose. Instantly, he reacted to my touch.
It turns out he just meows, jerks his head, and occasionally rolls over. I was actually thankful for that. If he walked, talked, or was voice activated, it'd be a little much.
His most startling move is the paw lick, which often results in him rolling over. I guess this is so you can scratch his belly. Then he rolls back over.
Here's his roll-over, in action.
My husband was skeptical of Robo Cat's intentions. He worried I had brought home a gremlin who would come for us in the night. But after a few pokes and prods, he let down his guard while Robo Cat purred. We still turned him off at night and closed our bedroom door. We didn't want to take any chances.
But we woke up, and we were still alive, and so was Robo Cat. He purred when I turned on the light to get ready for work in the morning. Then I turned him off, stuffed him in a bag, and headed to Business Insider's office. At first, my coworkers were freaked out by Robo Cat. But throughout the day, I caught them reaching over to pet him. His charm wore them down, and they asked me to leave him in the office one more day.
After his Business Insider tour, I brought him to my friend's apartment. She, like everyone else, called Robo Cat "creepy" at first, then warmed to him and eventually became amused. My friends gathered around as Robo Cat rolled over and purred, and pet him to keep the party going. If you don't pet Robo Cat, eventually he becomes quiet and goes to sleep.
Then it was off to the bars with Robo Cat. My friend carried him throughout Thompson Square Park. No one stopped him or thought it was weird. It is New York City after all.
The bar tender looked at us a little funny when we plopped Robo Cat down on the bar. But she said she had seen a stuffed animal before, and didn't mind him staying out. My friends didn't even realize they were doing it I don't think, but they pet him pretty continuously while they sipped their drinks for an hour. Robo Cat had won them over too.
My next experiment was to see how Robo Cat would react to another robot. My husband turned on our Roomba, and set them up to battle on our carpet. The cat won.
Ok, so what are my serious thoughts on this cat? I enjoyed my time with Robo Cat. Would I buy him for $100 for myself? No, he just doesn't do enough to be really engaging or entertaining and justify a semi-pricey personal purchase. Would I buy him for my grandma for $100? No, I don't think so either. Robo Cat is fun to have, but I'd be afraid of insulting my grandma — who does live alone but is still really with it — if I insinuated she needed a stuffed animal for a friend. And he doesn't seem life-like enough to replace a real companion pet.
I will say that I enjoyed Hasbro's robot cat a lot more than I thought I would. I think my coworkers and friends did too. Everyone started out calling him creepy, then seemed to grow fond of the companion pet. He is fun to play with and I am strangely sad to be sending him back. Maybe there is a place in the market for Robo Cat. For little kids, he could be especially loved, like a less intimidating, less annoying Furby. I'm looking forward to seeing what Hasbro comes out for Robot Cat version 2.0.
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