Here's one of those "Yeah, it's a good idea, but . . ." stories:
VALPARAISO, Ind. — A local college professor, with the assistance of two of his former students, has come up with a unique way to help you find your lost cat.Jeff Will, a Valparaiso University professor of electrical and computer engineering, has developed a feline-friendly iPhone application. Here Kitty, Kitty! now is available on iTunes for 99 cents.
He developed the app for all iOS devices (including the new iPad) as a fun way for users to manage their cats with familiar sounds that will bring the feline around when they don't come when called. It features the sounds of a cat meowing, a man calling a cat and an electric can opener readying a feline feast.
This just sounds like a high-tech version of herding cats. My cats do pretty much what they want to, and if they escaped to the outside, they'd come back to the house when they damn well wanted to and not a second sooner, no matter how many "friendly" noises I made. Another cat meowing? They'd either ignore it or hiss at a perceived enemy. A "man calling a cat"? Wouldn't I, you know, just call my cat instead of using a cell-phone sound of a man calling a cat? Maggie is mostly oblivious to any attempts at getting her attention, and the only thing Dutch responds to is the sound of his treat package being waved back and forth. More often than not, though, he comes before I offer, with that "It's been 10 minutes since my last treat already, so where is it,
