The Internet of Things Empowering the Internet of Pets—An Outlook from the Academic and Scientific Experience

This paper presents a systematic review to explore how the Internet of Things (IoT) is empowering the Internet of Pets (IoP) to enhance the quality of life for companion animals. Thirty-six relevant papers published between 2010 and 2024 were retrieved and analyzed following both the PRISMA and the Kitchenham and Charters guidelines for conducting literature reviews. The findings demonstrate that the IoP is transforming pet care by offering innovative solutions for monitoring, feeding, and animal welfare. Asian countries are leading the development of these technologies, with a surge in research activity in recent years (2020–2024). While remote feeding prototypes currently dominate the field (79%), the IoP is anticipated to expand into other areas. Monitoring health (25%), surveillance and monitoring activities (49%), and providing comfort (17%) for pets are the primary research interests. The IoT holds immense potential to improve pet care. Research in this area is expected to continue growing, driving innovation and the creation of new IoP solutions utilizing artificial intelligence to achieve smart and predictive devices. In the future, the development of multifunctional devices that combine various capabilities in a single unit will become commonplace in a society where it is trending for young people to adopt pets instead of having children.