Ever sat in from of your computer screen, or smart phone (probably at work) watching funny cat videos and wondered how amazing it would be to actually interact with a real animal? Or perhaps you have a dog or cat at home and miss him/her dearly while you’re away at work (probably wasting time watching funny cat videos) and wondered how amazingly cool it would be to actually interact with your pet via the Internet?

We present the solution to both these vexing problems….the iPet Companion! Not only does it allow you to remotely control dog and cat toys, but also watch a live stream of it happening. Now, before you jump to conclusions and assume this is another mindless online service designed to distract us from the sad reality of our mundane lives, keep in mind that the iPet Companion’s mission is actually to end homelessness of animals nationwide. Fo Real! Animal shelters across the country are already using the service and iPet Companion estimates that participating shelters have seen a 67% increase in kitten adoptions and  295% increase in sponsorships.

Wondering how it works? According to Scott Harris, founder and owner of Reach-In, the Idaho-based company that developed the software “A signal is relayed from the servers at iPet Companion to the control boxes situated within the home (located anywhere in the world) – that allows for users to see and move the toys, with minimal time lag.”

Want to install it in a pet shelter or your home? It will cost you $349.95 plus postage for the cat version, $395 plus postage for dogs and a $4.95 monthly service fee for your own interactive webpage.

Worried that you’ll get caught playing with cute kittens and puppies online and gobbling up Internet bandwidth while your at work? Just tell your manager that studies have shown that playing with animals in the workplace can reduce workplace reduced job-related stress and increase overall employee satisfaction. You see, it’s a win-win!

Image Source: Belal Khan/Flickr