Cats, too, need an iPhone

In case you were upset I blogged about iPhone apps for dogs, or think I'm playing favorites, I hasten to bring you mashable.com's 9 essential iPhone apps for cats.

Which leads me to believe they couldn't find 10.

Up top is Twitkitteh: Twitter for Cats. At 99 cents, it allows your cat access to the world 14o characters at a time.

Also available are apps for cat training and first aid, as well as Catbook, Facebook for cats, in case they find Twitkitteh stoopid.

There is even a game for your cat, which simulates the red laser dot on different surfaces.


At least it's free, so you won't complain when kitty scratches your screen.

iPhoning it in

I've always wanted to do a year-end round up of the best of the year-end round ups.

But I'm way too lazy to do that.

The next best thing is a mashable.com's 10 best iPhone apps for dog lovers.

A couple of these I've written about before (Off Leash and Fail Dogs), but the rest are new to me.

The thing about an app like Off Leash, which is sponsored by Eukanuba, or Pet Services Finder from PetMD, is if you are looking for a dog park in an area that isn't heavily populated, it probably won't be there unless you email the information in yourself. Last time I checked none of the dog parks in Dutchess County were listed in Off Leash.

Other apps, like dog first aid also from PetMD, could come in handy, even when it costs $1.99.

Then there is an app like DogiDuty, which gives a dog walker an easy interface to communicate to an owner just what Fido has been up to. Though at 99 cents I think I would use the notepad app that came with the iPhone and can also send emails.

Pixelated pooches for your iPhone

Among the many timewasters, er, games, available for the iPhone and iPod Touch is a freebie called Touch Pets Dogs.


You pick out the kind of dog you want, name it and take it home. Petting the pooch garners you points, as does grooming, feeding, training and exercising.

Though, unlike in real life, you seldom see "Petting at 100%" rise above your dog. Dogs can't ever get enough petting.


The dog will tell you when it wants to go out, and then relieve itself in a nice little swirl of dog doo. You then have to get a baggie and clean up after the dog.

It will also have little thought balloons that give you hints as to what the dog requires.

There are a limited number of toys to play with at the beginning. You can "purchase" others, as well as clothing and treats, with the points you collect.

While the game itself is free (you can also get a free version that has 18 more feeding bowls), you can purchase — up to $29.99 — other versions with more food.

The problem with the food is, the dogs need constant feeding (don't get me started on the amount of shampooing a digital dog seems to require) and the food bowl can stay empty for a while, especially if you purchase another dog and that one can't seem to pay attention when the food bowl is put down.

Don't get me started.

If you enjoy Sims-like games where the creatures change over time, then a pets person might like Touch Pets Dogs.

Personally, I get bored quickly with games like this.

Make your kitty a part of your iPod

Anyone who has talked to me lately knows I am wild about my iPhone.

Best. Tool. Ever.

And the iPod Touch is great as well, especially if you don't want to get calls.

But a quick search on the Enterwebs found that pet-related apps are springing up. Now that we've downloaded every other conceivable app, it's time to download something worthwhile.

The screenshots here are from LOLCats, a free app that contains stuff like this, along with chat features, and since it is free, advertisements.


There also another free app called I Can Has Cheezburger, that contains LOLDogs too.

On the paid side of the fence (I am all for free apps — it has to be something real special to get me to cough up hard cash), there is CatPaint.

It's a "cat-based image editor" (whatever that means), allowing you — for 99 cents — to insert pictures of kitties into your photographs.

From the Web site:

CatPaint is an immersive and multi-sensory experience, wherein you can put adorable cats on top of your photos. Also, they mew. With just a few touches, you can take a photo, cover it with cats, and send it off to your friends and family.

To get started, simply pull out the litter-box drawer to select a kitty, then tap anywhere to place it. Should you misplace a kitten, just gently shake your iPhone or iPod Touch like an Etch-a-Sketch to Undo. Shake a little and one cat will disappear, shake a bunch and clear all the cats and start again.

It's not that easy in real life.

Technology can be useful

If you need to find a dog park — quick! — there's a new application called "Off Leash," from the people at Eukanuba.

Available for the iPhone or iPod Touch, this app lets you use the phone's GPS system to locate nearby dog parks.

Alternatively, as with the Touch, you can search by ZIP code. You have to be connected to the Enterwebs, either on the 3G network or by Wi-Fi, for the doohickey to work.


Unfortunately, a search using my ZIP code — 12603 — turned up nothing closer than New Milford, Conn. There is a way to send information about dog parks into the company so they can be included in their databases and, conceivably, turn up in future searches.

The app also has puppy training and nutrition videos. Again, you have to be connected to the WWW. I haven't looked at all of the videos, so I can't vouch for them. Just bear in mind, the app was created and is being distributed by a major dog food company.