🎤 Pet translator

Guide: pet translator, a game to laugh with your dog, cat or bird

What this tool does

The pet translator is a game: record your dog barking, your cat meowing or your bird singing, and the tool gives you a funny "translation" of what it was trying to say. It isn't a real translation, but it's perfect for laughing with the family or making content for social media.

How it works

Tap record and hold the phone near your pet while it makes its sound. The tool analyzes simple things in the audio, like length, volume and pitch, and picks a funny phrase to match. You can also record your own voice and see how your pet "would say it". The microphone is used only while recording and the audio isn't uploaded anywhere.

What we do know about how they communicate

Even though we can't translate word for word, barks, meows and songs do carry information:

• Dogs: high, repeated barks usually signal excitement or wanting to play; low, slow ones signal alertness or warning. A howl may answer other sounds or be a way of seeking company.
• Cats: interestingly, adult cats rarely meow at each other. The meow is mainly a way to talk to people, and each cat develops its own "words" with its family: one for food, another for opening the door.
• Birds: songs and calls help them keep contact with the flock, warn of danger or show joy. Many birds call their owners when they leave the room.

Sound is always easier to understand together with the body. Learn to read postures with What is my pet telling me?

Ideas for playing

• Record your pet at different moments, like before meals, when you get home or when it sees a bird through the window, and compare the translations.
• Make a video of your family's reaction to each translation.
• Combine it with the sound game to trigger barks or meows.

If your pet vocalizes much more than usual, especially at night or in old age, mention it to your vet: sometimes it's a sign of pain, confusion or stress.

How to record better

Find a spot without background noise, like TV or traffic, and hold the phone about a foot from your pet. Many pets vocalize when they hear the doorbell, see their food or hear you arrive, so those are perfect moments to record. Never provoke or scare it to get a sound.