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Smart litter tray to detect feline health problems
A smart litter tray for cats (not pictured) has been launched by Japanese electronics firm, Sharp.
Sharp’s Pet Care Monitor will go on sale in July

A Japanese electronics company is to begin selling a smart litter tray for cats that can detect health issues.

According to The Japan Times, Sharp’s Pet Care Monitor can automatically measure urine data and the weight of the cat to monitor problems. If any problems are found, the monitor will send an alert to the owner’s smartphone.

The product is Sharp’s first product exclusively for pets and is scheduled to go on sale in July. It uses artificial intelligence and “internet of things” (IoT) technologies - the network of computing devices in everyday objects.

“Pets are now considered as part of the family and IoT technology has been used little in the pet market,” Yoshisuke Hasegawa, a senior executive managing officer told Japan Times. “We joined the market with the aim of expanding our business and realising a ‘smart’ life.”

The tray keeps track of cats’ urine volume and frequency, weight and the amount of time spent on the toilet. If the tray detects any problems, such as the cat spending too much time going to the toilet, the device will send an alert to the owner's phone via an application called Cocoro pet.

If the owner has multiple cats, they can purchase a sensor that can be used together with the smart toilet for up to three cats.

The sensor will go on sale July 30 with a price tag of ¥24,800 ($226). A monthly fee of ¥324 will be charged for use of the smartphone app.

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RCVS Knowledge appoints Veterinary Evidence editor-in-chief

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has welcomed Professor Peter Cockcroft as editor-in-chief for Veterinary Evidence.

A world-renowned expert in evidence-based veterinary medicine, Prof Cockcroft will lead the strategic development and editorial quality of the open-access journal. He was previously in the role from 2017-2020.

Katie Mantell, CEO of RCVS Knowledge, said: "We are excited about the extensive knowledge of evidence-based veterinary medicine and clinical veterinary research that Peter brings, and we look forward to working with him over this next phase of the journal's development." 

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News Shorts
CVS Group hit by cyber attack

CVS Group, which owns more than 450 veterinary practices in the UK, has been hit by a cyber attack.

In a statement, the group said the incident involved unauthorised external access to a limited number of its IT systems. As soon as the attack was discovered, the group took its IT systems temporarily offline, causing 'considerable operational disruption'.

It has warned that the security steps taken and ongoing plans to move its operational systems and IT infrastructure to the Cloud are likely to have an ongoing impact over a number of weeks.

Due to the risk that personal information was accessed, CVS has informed the Information Commissioner's Office. The company is working with third party consultants to investigate the incident.