Whisker unveils AI cat litter box

Zoom in: The company's latest product line includes a $899 automatic litter box that has two AI-powered cameras, one of which uses facial recognition to distinguish between cats in multi-cat households.

• Other new models cost $799 and $599 — a multi-tiered strategy with similarities to Apple product roll-outs.

What they're saying: "We believe that we are the most advanced in the world right now at recognizing a cat face," Whisker CEO Jacob Zuppke tells Axios.

State of play: Whisker's litter boxes are equipped to track weight changes, and flag signs of illness like blood or diarrhea in animal waste.

Context: The new litter boxes reflect the company's $50 million investment in research and development over 2024-25 and new hires to its engineering team.

• "We're building a sleeper of a technology company here in Detroit, rooted in pet care," Zuppke says.