How you see things might not be how they see it. Umwelt is an attempt to look at your home from their side of the eyes — guided by published vision science, honest about what it can and can’t know, and built to make you a little more curious about the animal in front of you.
The red ball you can spot across the yard may blend into the grass for your dog. The toy that is obvious to you may hardly stand out to your cat. Animals don’t see “worse” — they see differently, tuned by their own evolution. Seeing that difference, even approximately, changes how you choose their toys, light their spaces, and read their moments of hesitation.
That’s the whole idea: a small, honest empathy tool. Be kind to all animals — it’s easier when you’ve tried their point of view.
The live camera renders your surroundings the way a dog or cat is understood to experience them — the colours they can tell apart, how sharp or soft things look at their acuity, how the scene shifts as light drops. Profiles adapt for age and breed traits where research supports it.
It’s a translation, not a window. No app can show you exactly what any individual animal experiences — ours shows a careful model of what the research measures, and says so.
Frame a toy and the app reads how easily it stands out from the surface it’s on — to their eyes, not yours. Save the toys you own, rate how your pet plays with them, and notice patterns: the loved ones, the ignored ones, and the ones that were simply invisible on your carpet.
Readings are guidance for curiosity and play — not guarantees, scores of your pet’s ability, or health measurements.
Every vision profile is informed by published, peer-reviewed research on animal vision, and the app cites its sources in-app — tap a profile’s name to read where its numbers come from. Where the research is thin, the app says so instead of pretending.
Real vision varies by individual, breed, age and health. Treat everything you see as a well-researched approximation of a typical animal — educational, not diagnostic.
No account. No analytics. No tracking. No ads. Camera frames are processed live on your iPhone and never leave it. The only images ever kept are the cropped toy pictures you choose to save — on your device, excluded from backup, deletable any time. Purchases are handled by Apple; we never see your payment details.
Your home through your dog’s eyes, with toy readings tuned for dogs.
Your home through your cat’s eyes, from bright noon to late dusk.
Dogs and cats in one app, plus advanced tools for multi-pet homes.
Each app is free to download and includes an introductory allowance of live-view time; a yearly subscription or a one-time purchase unlocks unlimited use. Prices are always shown in the app before you buy. Features and allowances may change over time.
For bugs, questions, or feedback, email umwelt@mosaicparadigm.net — it helps to include your device model and iOS version.