You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

This $100 Lifelike Robotic Companion Cat Is a Toy Made for Seniors It's the first in Hasbro's line of 'companion' pets for the elderly.

By Laura Entis

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Companion Pet Cats | Official Site

Hasbro may be best known for toys that appeal to kids, but it wants to appeal to their grandparents as well.

The Pawtucket, R.I.-based company just launched Joy for All, a new toy line of realistic companion stuffed animals aimed specifically for seniors.

Joy for All debuts with Companion Pet Cats, which according to the company "look, feel and sound like real cats. But they're so much more than soft fur, soothing purrs and pleasant meows."

The fluffy robotic felines – which come in creamy white, silver with white paws or orange tabby – are equipped with multiple built-in motion detecting sensors. They respond to petting and hugging "much like the cats you know and love." Presumably unlike the cats you know and love, they don't require food or litter-box maintenance.

Related: Lego Is the Latest Toymaker Vying for a Piece of This $4 Billion Market

At $100, a Companion Pet Cat doesn't exactly come cheap. With the proper context, however, the price doesn't seem that bad. Remember Sony's robotic Aibo dogs? Launched in 1999 and available until 2006, the clunky electronic canines could move around, bark and (ostensibly) respond to user commands. The cost? A casual $2,000.

More recently, there is a Paro – a robotic seal that responds to tough, light, sound and temperature, built to soothe seniors suffering from dementia. Paro hails from Japan, but recently gained mainstream stateside exposure thanks to its recent star-making turn in Aziz Ansari's Netflix show, Master of None.

Don't fall in love too quickly, though. Paro apparently costs more than $7,500, which makes Hasbro's line of similar, but far more affordable, feline friends a welcome alternative.

Related: Why This $9 Billion Publicly Traded Toy Company Is Crowdfunding to Find the Next Big Game

Laura Entis is a reporter for Fortune.com's Venture section.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

This Highly-Debated Piece of Cinematic History Just Sold For Over $700,000 at Auction

The wood panel from "Titanic" is often mistaken as a door. Either way, he couldn't have fit. (Sorry.)

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

From Tom Brady to Kevin O'Leary – See Who Lost Big in the Wake of the FTX Crypto Collapse

The crash exposed an $8 billion hole in FTX's accounts, leaving investors and customers scrambling to recoup their funds.

Fundraising

Avoid These 9 Pitch Deck Mistakes When Asking Others For Money

Crafting an efficient pitch deck requires serious effort, but at least it's not wandering in the dark since certain rules are shaped by decades of relationships between startups and investors.