The Katto Journal

Why we don't make smart-app feeders (yet)
Every few weeks someone asks when Katto will launch an app-connected feeder — camera, portions, notifications, the lot. The honest answer: not until we can make one that fails gracefully. Today, most can't.The failure mathA smart feeder is a chain: power supply → motor → firmware → wifi → cloud service → app. Six links, and your cat's dinner depends on all of them holding — precisely during the hours you're not home to notice. Every link we removed from Haven™ is a 2 a.m. failure that can't happen. Gravity... Read more...
Leaving your cat for a weekend: the calm checklist
Cats handle short absences far better than dogs — but only if their world stays predictable. Here's the checklist we use ourselves.Before you leaveFood and water for the full stretch, plus one day. A gravity station covers this automatically; if you're using bowls, one per day of absence, in different spots.Two litter boxes, freshly cleaned. The rule is boxes = cats + 1 when nobody's scooping.Leave the smells alone. Don't wash their blanket the day before. Familiar scent is feline security.A t-shirt you've worn on their favorite sleeping spot does... Read more...
The gravity feeder, explained honestly
We sell a gravity feeder. So you might expect this article to tell you gravity feeders are perfect for every cat. They aren't — and knowing when they are is the difference between a great purchase and a returned one.How it worksA gravity feeder is beautifully simple: a sealed reservoir releases kibble (or water) into a bowl as it's consumed. No motors, no batteries, no programming. Nothing to fail at 2 a.m. while you're in another country.Where gravity feeders excelCats that self-regulate — most adult cats — graze small amounts... Read more...
How much water does a cat actually need?
Cats are famously bad drinkers. They evolved from desert hunters who got most of their moisture from prey — which means their thirst drive is weak, even when their body needs water.The numbersA healthy adult cat needs roughly 50 ml of water per kilogram of body weight per day. For a typical 4 kg cat, that's about 200 ml — a little under a cup. Cats on wet food get much of this from their meals; cats on dry kibble need to drink nearly all of it.Why it mattersChronic mild... Read more...