Can AI Read Your Pet's Mind? New Device Sparks Buzz

Chinese startup PettiChat has claimed to develop an AI-powered pet translator that can turn animal sounds and behaviour into human speech using Alibaba Cloud's Qwen model.

Meng Xiaoyi, based in Hangzhou, says the device analyses pet vocalisations, emotions, and behavioural patterns to generate human-like phrases in real time. The company has claimed an accuracy rate of 94.6 percent, according to Oddity Central.

According to reports, the wearable device, known as PettiChat, is attached to a pet's collar, weighs 27.2 grams, and connects to a smartphone app. The startup says the system is trained on millions of pet sound samples and can recognise emotions.

The company claims the device allows users to understand what their pets are “saying” by turning barks, meows, and other signals into full sentences. It uses microphones, motion sensors and AI to read body language and vocalisations.

“Even when you're away, PettiChat stays in tune with what they need. Cats and dogs communicate through distinct vocal patterns. Their voices, actions and behaviours are matched with video ground truth for AI learning,” the video on X states.

For example, “Play”, “Come on”, “Leave me alone”, “I don't like you”, and so on.

“Backed by over 1 million pet data points and professional research supports, Hybrid Device AI enables fast and accurate responses in as fast as 1.2 seconds,” it adds.

chinese startup built an AI collar that translates barks and meows into full sentences.

95% accuracy. cost $118.

10k people have already pre-ordered it.

It uses mics, motion sensors, and AI to read body language and vocalizations. https://t.co/Y2CNjIAnp8 pic.twitter.com/fFmwdC2QNB

— shirish (@shiri_shh) May 24, 2026

Scepticism around the product has increased after the company released promotional demo videos. Critics say the videos appear heavily staged, and some viewers believe the AI-generated human voice translating pet sounds may have been added later during video editing.

Many people also find the claimed translations too accurate and human-like to fully believe. While the company presents the device as advanced AI technology, experts say the results shown in the demos feel more like science fiction.

The PettiChat website allows customers to buy a “Limited Edition” device for $189.99 (approximately Rs 18,000). It is currently on sale for $149.99 (approximately Rs 14,300).

Customers can choose from three colours on the website – brown, pink, and silver – for cats and dogs.

The company opened pre-orders on May 1 ahead of the official launch and says it has already received around 10,000 reservations from buyers around the world.