Let me tell you a little bit about my 9-month-old kitten, Renwick. We call him Ren, and he’s a sleek mini-panther with a heart for love and destruction. Seriously, he loves tearing things up; he purrs when he destroys! As a feline enthusiast and devoted cat mom, I pour my heart and efforts into keeping my purr children happy, healthy, and enriched at every turn.
To think Ren and his feline brethren might ever be unhappy at any time vexes me. I’m sure this worry is one you and I share. So, when I watched Channel 4 News correspondent Minnie Stephenson’s report on apps that can read cat moods, I was skeptical, but like my kitties, also quite curious.
AI Plus Feline Facial Expressions Equal Mood Prediction
For her report, Stephenson and her cat Whitney experimented with Tably, an AI tool designed by Sylvester.AI to predict a cat’s mood by analyzing facial expressions using the Feline Grimace Scale. Developed in 2019, the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) uses changes in facial cues to assess pain in cats.
FGS lead author and associate professor of veterinary anesthesia and pain management at the University of Montreal, Paulo Steagall, explained, “Depending on the cats’ muzzle, eyes, ears, whiskers, or head position, you can determine whether or not a cat is in pain.”
In coupling the FGS with machine learning, cat parents can now scan their cats at home to survey their moods. And all you have to do is take a well-lit front-facing scan of your cat, and using points on your cat’s face, Tably references the FGS to make a mood prediction. Results then appear, telling you whether your cat is happy or unhappy while also giving a confidence rating percentage. And the confidence rates are pretty high.
Michelle Priest, Tably’s senior product manager, said, “With a high quality and full-face front image of the cat, the accuracy is 97 percent [with adults cats of most breeds], which we are tremendously happy with.”
While Tably is still in its beta version, the implications behind the app are advancing the way we care for cats, both at home and in the vet’s office.
Trying Out Tably
A try with Ren and Tably showed me Ren is a happy cat and, of this happiness, Tably was 95% certain. As his mom, I have to say it was more like 100% as he sat there smiling with a full belly and purr rumbling in his throat.
I also tried the app with my 18-year-old super senior, Piper. A little preface on Ms. Piper, she’s always been a feisty girl who’s not a fan of having pictures taken, which has resulted in many blurry images in shades of brown and tan. But when it comes to her mom and dad, she’s a bucket of purrs and snuggles. So, I woke her from a nap, thinking that should make the app reading a little more interesting. Indeed, the Tably app read her as not happy. Ok, so grumpy at being awakened from her snooze, no surprise there.
But here’s where the app and real-life differed. Piper was purring her heart out as the app scanned her. With all the purring and head bumps, I know she was pleased to see me, but AI said differently. I figured this could be for several reasons, though. Firstly, Piper is old, and her face has some senior sag. Her eyes aren’t as wide and bright as a young kitty like Ren. Perhaps this could have some effect on readings.
On the other hand, this tough girl has chronic kidney disease, so the app might be right. She could have been feeling some discontent from symptoms of her condition, causing that temporary unhappiness. Plus, Piper wanted to love on me instead of staying still for a scan. And most importantly, it’s an app. No program will ever know your cat better than you.
You Know Your Kitty Best, But Help Is Always Good
I know Ren is happy, and I also understand that being eighteen and suffering from vet-and-mom-managed CKD, Piper feels discomfort sometimes. But I’m quite sure Piper is a happy cat too. Her smile tells me so!
That said, though, these types of mood-detecting apps, and also cat translators, can help us better understand our felines. Though we can’t trust them one hundred percent, the results can help us further explore the thoughts of a cat. For example, though she’s overall joyful, Piper’s unhappy readings on Tably still have me planning some extra enrichments and treats for her, just in case!
Give a Tably a whirl and see what this mood-detection app says about your kitty! And if your cat is a tech junkie, check out these 11 Apps For Cats & Their Parents.
Remember, though, your instincts will always be sharper than AI when it comes to your cat because you know better than anyone when your fur baby is happy or sad. But to help you brush up on speaking cat, here’s 10 Signs To Read Your Cat’s Mood. Plus, you’ve got something robots will never have…a heart for felines!