iMeow

Some of my colleagues at work built a new iPhone app called iMeow (iTunes link).

The instructions for using iMeow are actually encoded in a poem included with the app:

"I like to have my ears and belly rubbed.
But, please don't step on my toes or pull my tail!!!
I'll cry for food if I'm hungry.
And whatever you do. Do. Not. Shake. Me."

Since I have a coffee-colored cat called Java, I decided to try out iMeow with her.

When I pressed the mouth of the iMeow cat to make it meow, my cat suddenly became alert and still. I did it a few times and then tossed the phone away. My cat started moving slowly towards the phone and then went and sniffed it.

Next experiment was to pull the iMeow's cat tail or step on its toes. The shrieks that came out of that sent chills down my cat's spine!!!

Finally, I shook the iPhone forcing the iMeow cat to give an aggressive fighting shriek and exhale (the one cats do right before clawing you). That freaked my cat out, but it was fast enough that my cat was able to get over it quickly.

In any case, I expect the app to get a number of updates in the future, so if you have a cat and you would like to test how it would react to another cat, give iMeow a spin.

My next experiment will be to test iMeow in the wild, either in a pet store, or at a public place to see how everyone will react. ;)