Your cat can't tell you when it's sick, but a local pet tech company is working on an app for that.

The big picture: The Litter-Robot — an industry-leading automatic litter box that runs up to $700 — is made by Whisker, an Auburn Hills-based company that has sold more than 1 million robots since it started in 2000.

Zoom in: Now that Whisker has helped cat parents with their most annoying chore, the company is developing food and water products to give them a more comprehensive picture of their cat's health.

What they're saying: "We believe that if we understand everything going in your pet and everything going out of your pet, we can tell you that whole health story," Whisker CEO Jacob Zuppke tells Axios.

Between the lines: Zuppke, a self-described Apple geek, says Whisker's products communicate with each other with an Apple-like ease.

• The company also has an automatic feeder called the Feeder-Robot and an app with 750,000 active users that tallies cat weights 4 million times per day.

State of play: Zuppke wouldn't go into too much detail on the new products because they aren't on the market yet.

• But he says that they will be intended for cats who eat dry or wet food, or both, or pets on medication.
• Water products would monitor cats' consumption while accounting for evaporation, humidity and other factors.

Catch up quick: Whisker has more than 600 workers between its headquarters in Auburn Hills and its production facility in Juneau, Wisconsin.

• The company has been profitable for 19 straight years without relying on venture capital to fund its growth, Zuppke says.
• Whisker spent $3 million last year on a new research and development center in Auburn Hills.

The latest: This morning, the company announced the hiring of five new Auburn Hills-based executives to support its product innovation.

What's next: As a stateside manufacturer, Whisker is in a good position to weather the Trump administration's tariff policies.

• The company started to move its suppliers out of China shortly after Trump's election, Zuppke says.
• "I think we're uniquely well-positioned for the climate that we're in."

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Affordable housing access is among Detroit's most pressing issues, and mayoral candidates tackled how they'd improve it during a debate televised last night on Local 4.

Why it matters: The city needs tens of thousands more affordable units to ease its housing crisis, the Detroit Justice Center found in a 2023 report. But construction costs are rising and subsidies only go so far.

The candidates in the debate were chosen based on local polling. During a wide-ranging event that also touched on public safety and seniors' needs, the candidates' answers on affordable housing were:

Former police chief James Craig said Detroit is in a housing "crisis," and the units in the pipeline are "not even making a dent."

• He wants to grow the city's middle class with homeownership, use a sweeping set of statistics to track affordable housing progress and provide developers incentives.

City Council President Mary Sheffield touted the city's $1 billion invested in affordable housing over five years. But to keep that momentum going, she'd prioritize tax abatements to offset the high costs of building housing in Detroit and work with faith-based institutions doing development.

• The city must also address the "real issue," its extremely high property taxes, she said.

The Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. said this issue is why he got into the race.

• What's been done to improve housing access isn't enough, he said, "when the average person is not making $800 a week." People need pathways to build wealth, including through down payment assistance.

Former nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins echoed Kinloch that not enough has been done to address housing insecurity. Both pointed to the two children who died while sleeping in a van in a casino parking garage.

• Jenkins says she'd use bond funding to lower the cost of building affordable housing, offer more down payment assistance and assure there's more options for seniors.

Go deeper: Watch the full debate ... Share this story

🏭 Residents are raising concerns over dust and noise from the Kronos concrete plant on Detroit's east side. (Detroit News, 🔐)

🗞️ A joint operating agreement between the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News will conclude at the end of this year and they'll operate independently of each other. The papers found cost savings under the agreement by combining advertising sales, printing and distribution. (News, Free Press)

🚐 The city's new same-day paratransit service for residents with disabilities is up and running. Riders previously had to schedule transportation at least a day in advance. (WDIV)

✈️ Detroit's City Airport is set to receive $14.6 million in updates as up to 200 aerospace students prepare to return in 2026. (Detroit News, 🔐)

Detroit-area home prices climbed 2.6% in April from a year earlier, according to Redfin data.

The big picture: 12 of the 50 largest metros saw prices dip compared to a year ago, per the real estate site.

Zoom in: Prices are falling or barely changing in parts of Florida, Texas and other areas where more homes are available.

• Prices are mostly rising in the Northeast and Midwest.

Reality check: Home sales have slumped nationally during what's typically the busiest season.

• Still-high prices — they're up around 52% from 2019, per Redfin — and elevated mortgage rates sidelined many homebuyers, especially first-timers.
• Economic uncertainty is also keeping some people away.

What we're watching: Redfin and Zillow forecast U.S. home prices will edge down by the end of 2025, while other experts expect a slow increase.