Hospital Ward: Friendly Male Nurse Talks Reassuringly to Elderly Patient Resting in Bed. (Image: Getty Images)
Three dogs and a cat live in complete harmony at the Royal Court care home, in the Lincolnshire town of Cleethorpes. Loved by the 16 residents there, they are also very popular with the staff, as they require no exercise or feeding, and no one has the unenviable task of clearing up what they leave behind. But these pets aren’t real at all – they are in fact robots.
Very realistic robots, however. Covered in fake fur, the cat purrs and meows when it sits in the residents’ laps, while the dogs bark, pant and wag their tails. Both the feline and the canine versions respond to petting by moving their eyes, mouth, heads and tails.
“They bring comfort to our residents with dementia,” says Claire Appleton, 51, who owns the care home. “It’s instant. Their faces light up as soon as they see the pets. It raises their mood instantly.”
One resident called Bob recently celebrated his 100th birthday at Royal Court, and was given his robotic dog as a gift from his family. Claire says he loves his new pet, often placing it on his lap and stroking it. The other pets are shared between the residents in the home.
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“Residents are taken back to a time when they had pets of their own,” Claire explains. “It gives them the joy of a pet but without the responsibility of owning a real pet which can be overwhelming for someone with dementia.”
She says some of the more advanced dementia patients believe the pets are actually real, and that this has positive benefits. “They might give them names when they talk to them,” she adds. “If they get comfort from them, then there’s nothing wrong with them thinking they are real.”
Deborah Spratley is the distributor of these robotic devices. Through her company Robopets, she sells robotic cats, dogs, birds and panda bears, ranging in price from £64 up to £328. She set up her business seven years ago when her aunt was diagnosed with dementia, importing the robots from the United States.
Among her clients are care homes, hospitals and dementia support groups. “I’ve witnessed people who were unresponsive and uncommunicative suddenly come alive when a robotic pet was introduced to them,” she says. “The pets trigger memories of past pets, and often people will start talking to their pet.
The pets also help to reduce anxiety and stress, which is wonderful. “Many people living with dementia do believe the pets are real and will often name them from past pets. One thing that stays with a person living with dementia is the need to nurture, and so the Robopets offer them a safe and rewarding way of taking care of something when they are unable to have a real pet of their own.”
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Sick man sitting on the bed at the hospital (Image: Getty Images)
Spratley buys her pets from Rhode Island-based company Joy for All, a subsidiary of toy manufacturer Hasbro. Co-founder and CEO Ted Fischer believes his devices “enhance the lives of those living with loneliness, social isolation, and forms of cognitive decline”.
He points to multiple clinical studies that show robotic pets “calm anxiety, facilitate intergenerational connection, stimulate conversation, and increase the quality of life for older adults facing cognitive challenges – without the use of medication”.
Fischer, who is himself allergic to real cats, tested early prototypes of the robotic cats on his own grandmother. When it comes to the feline versions of his devices, he says the orange tabby cat is the most popular design; with the canine versions it is the golden retriever. He claims to have sold over 600,000 robots in 30 countries around the world.
The results, Fischer says, have been amazing. He has heard of several instances where older people regain the power of speech after years of not communicating – all thanks to the companionship of robotic pets.
“Whether that’s through reminiscence or the power of pets, I can’t explain it,” he says. “But it’s magic when you do see it.”He has even heard of several pensioners in the United States who loved their robotic pets so much that they asked to be buried with them after they had passed away.
These types of robots, albeit in a very nascent form, have been around since the 1940s. One of the first known models was a robotic dog called Sparko, built by US manufacturer Westinghouse.
Then in the late 1990s, Hasbro launched an owl-like talking toy for children called the Furby, sparking a worldwide craze. Fast forward to modern day and the demand for robotic pets is growing.
According to research company, Credence Research, the global market for robotic dogs was valued at over $1.2 billion in 2022, and is expected to rise to more than $4.5 billion by 2030, with therapy the fastest growing sector.
It’s in Japan that the technology seems to be most advanced, where sensors, cameras, voice recognition, interactive capabilities and artificial intelligence ensure the devices act more and more like real animals. Here, Casio, for example, has developed a very cute, furry pet called Moflin which resembles a guinea pig.
“Just like a living animal, Moflin possesses emotional capabilities and movements that evolve through daily interactions with its environment,” Casio says. “Through communication, it will develop its own unique personality and, as it gets attached to you, you will most certainly get attached to your Moflin.”
Sony has also released a series of robotic pets – dogs called Aibo. They may be furless, but they are capable of walking, barking, performing tricks, displaying facial expressions and even cocking their legs against furniture – thankfully without the usual resulting mess.
Artificial intelligence allows Aibo to respond to commands and the name their owners give them, and to get to know different members of the household.
Other robotic pets available include Paro, a robotic seal from Japanese research facility AIST; Zoomer Playful Pup, from Canadian manufacturer Spin Master; and from Chinese companies Keyi Tech and , there is Loona, a robot dog, and Emo, a miniature desktop robot.
Kate Quilton is a TV presenter and ambassador for animal charity RSPCA. A strong advocate for adopting pets from rescue centres, she hosts a new RSPCA podcast on animal welfare called Animal Futures. One of the subjects she addresses is whether robotic pets will benefit or hinder animal welfare.
“The RSPCA isn’t suggesting robot pets replace real pets,” she tells the Daily Express. They are exploring whether there is a role for robot pets and whether it can be a benefit to animal welfare. The answer to that question is ‘Yes’.
“They definitely offer a viable alternative for those who are not able to own a pet for whatever reason: people with dementia or people with mobility issues or allergies.”
Quilton suggests robotic pets are especially useful for older people who can no longer look after real animals. “Pets are a lot of work,” she says. “Imagine having to give up your dog because you can’t walk it every day. In that case a robot pet can be a great viable alternative.”
But all the robotic pets currently available are still limited in their design. It will be many years before we see more advanced robotic dogs that can fetch a tennis ball or see off intruders, for example; or robotic cats that can catch mice and climb trees.Science fiction has imagined some extremely advanced robotic companions.
Who can forget Dr Who’s cyberdog K9, from the late 1970s? Or the loveable R2D2 from Star Wars, who charmed us with his endless chirping and bleeping. Then there was WALL-E, the recycling-obsessed rubbish collector from the 2008 film of the same name.But robotic pets will always struggle to give their human owners true companionship and love. For that, you need a real-life furry friend.
One of the experts interviewed on the RSPCA’s recent podcast was Dr Leanne Proops, a professor in animal behaviour and welfare at the University of Portsmouth.
She suggests that, in the future, artificial intelligence will allow robotic pets to be programmed in ways that will benefit individual owners, especially those with dementia, disability or autism.
Reassuringly, though, she believes man-made pets will never fully replace the real thing. “We are very able to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects,” she says. “So I think there will be separate roles for them in society.
“But it’s very clear from our research that there’s a preference for the living dogs. We don’t want to see animals disappearing from our lives and being replaced by these robotic creatures.”
That’s got to be good news for real cats and dogs everywhere.