Markets in everything

Here is one tidbit of several:

PET PORTE On those TV programs showing funny home videos, there’s always a family finding a dog or raccoon stuck in their cat door. The Pet Porte, $156 (PetPorte.com) uses the radio frequency from the microchip already embedded in your cat (or small dog) to ensure that furry crashers stay out. The clear, plastic door remains locked until a sensor reads your pet’s microchip.
Pet Porte works only with European microchips; this autumn, the company will release a door that can read U.S. chips. Light sensors allow you to program the door to lock after certain hours so your kitty doesn’t go out for a nightcap.

And if you like to process information about canines, here is a new source of input:

SNIF TAG
Ever wonder if your dog walker is really giving your pup a workout? The Snif Tag, $299 (SnifTag.com), is the equivalent of the baby cam for neurotic dog owners. A small tag attached to the collar uses a three-axis accelerometer and motion sensor software to determine what your dog is doing — walking, running, sleeping—and records the information within the tag’s flash drive. Back at your pad, where Snif Tag’s base station connects by Ethernet cable to your home network, all the information is uploaded to a Web site. The site breaks down your pooch’s activity by minute, hour, day, week, and month, and lets you determine, by breed and age, whether or not your dog is getting enough exercise. The tag also features a social component: When your canine companion has interacted with another Snif Tag wearer, you can contact the owner of your pup’s new B.F.F. to set another play date. One problem: Finding enough owners who are willing to buy the device.

There is also:

JOG-A-DOG The easiest way to deal with destructive behavior is with exercise, but occasionally it’s not realistic to toss the ball with your pup (long work hours, snowstorms, laziness). Doesn’t mean you can’t wear your dog out. Joga- Dog, $1,195 and up (JogADog.com) is a treadmill designed with canines in mind. Side guardrails ensure your dog doesn’t escape his workout, and an 11- degree incline is said to provide the resistance needed to build strength and muscle. But like with human treadmills, the Jog-a-Dog is no substitute for the stimuli of the great outdoors.