Smart cat feeder and water dispenser lets you track your feline's diet from a smartphone

Providing a domesticated cat with a healthy, balanced diet can be complete pain – especially as most felines will eat everything you put in front of them (or whatever happens to be left out on kitchen surfaces, dinner tables, etc.). Thankfully a French start-up is heading to Kickstarter with a "smart" solution for your cat's dietary needs while on the go.

Sporting a 1980s sci-fi look, the Catspad hopes to revolutionise the way cat owners track and feed their meowing pets by dispensing both cat food and fresh, filtered water with just a few taps of a smartphone app.

The "connected cat" feeder registers the rate of food consumption and transmits the data through Wi-Fi to a bespoke companion smartphone app for iOS and Android. It also measures the amount of food and water supplies left in the Catspad (up to 1.7kg and 8l storage, respectively), sending alert notifications when the holders need refilling.

Using the smartphone app, cat owners at home, at work, or even on holiday, can immediately feed a household moggie with a single tap, or set a recurring, automated time for food distribution.

For multi-cat households, the Catspad can also differentiate between each furry friend by detecting microchip IDs or collar fobs to ensure the correct cat gets its paws on the goods.

While there are plenty of cat feeders already on the market, the Catspad team seems to believe its nutrition tracking and smart control options make its feeder a "purrfect" match for cat lovers on the move.

The Catspad was showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017 in Las Vegas, ahead of its Kickstarter launch on 5 January. The Toulouse-based company is aiming for an eventual June release date, with prices starting at $199 (£162) for early Kickstarter backers prior to an eventual retail price of $249 (£203).