My big, fat, technophobic cat
A Verge journalist recounts her ongoing struggle to help her overweight cat, Pablo, lose weight, describing how various pet tech gadgets have repeatedly failed against his stubborn resistance to change. Vets have long warned that Pablo's excess weight puts him at risk of diabetes, kidney problems and urinary crystals, yet despite trying numerous devices intended to monitor his diet and encourage exercise, the writer says the technology has proven no match for her cat's temperament.
The piece centres on the Litter-Robot 4, an automated litter box with a built-in scale that the author bought partly to track Pablo's weight without having to physically lift him onto scales. At ten years old, Pablo weighs around 20 pounds, and while he initially tolerated the device, a house move to a four-storey home complicated matters, as the family could not feasibly move the 24-pound Litter-Robot beyond the second floor, disrupting the routines Pablo relies on.
- Verge writer struggles to get her obese cat Pablo to lose weight.
- Pablo weighs 20 pounds; vets warn of diabetes and kidney risks.
- Pet tech like the Litter-Robot 4 has largely failed against his resistance.
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Pablo is a ten-year-old, roughly 20-pound cat belonging to a writer at The Verge, and his ongoing weight problem is the subject of the piece. Vets have flagged that his size puts him at risk of conditions such as diabetes, kidney trouble and urinary crystals, prompting his owner to repeatedly try smart pet devices meant to track his diet and get him moving.
The article focuses in particular on the Litter-Robot 4, a self-cleaning litter box with a built-in scale, which the owner bought partly as an easier way to monitor Pablo's weight. It forms part of a broader wave of connected pet gadgets designed to help owners manage animals' health and behaviour remotely.
The story matters as a real-world example of the limits of consumer pet tech: even well-designed gadgets can be undermined by practical obstacles, such as an awkward house layout, and by an animal's own resistance to change.