Whisker: A Cat Care Chatbot => demo link
Whisker is an app dedicated to cat owners, providing valuable information about cat health and care. It serves as a platform where cat owners can observe their cats' behavior, manage health records, and get advice on various cat-related topics. In regions like Indonesia, where access to veterinary services may be limited, Whisker offers free, essential information to pet owners and animal shelters. The app's primary feature is a chatbot (powered by ChatGPT) that answers questions about cats. Whisker aims to promote animal shelters and rescue organizations, particularly those in Indonesia and Berlin, Germany.
The primary users of Whisker are:
- Cat Owners: Individuals seeking guidance on cat care and health management.
- Pet Shelter Owners: Those managing shelters and needing support in providing care for multiple cats.
- Financially Struggling Pet Owners: People who need free access to cat care information due to financial constraints.
- Name: Sarah
- Age: 30
- Location: Berlin, Germany
- Occupation: Teacher
- Pain Points: Sarah is a new cat owner who struggles with understanding her cat's behavior and ensuring its health. She has limited access to veterinary services due to her busy schedule and budget constraints.
- Needs: Easy-to-access, reliable information on cat care, health reminders, and a supportive community of cat owners.
- Chatbot (ChatGPT 3): Answers cat-related questions.
- Sign In/Sign Up: User authentication and profile management.
- Cat Profile Management: Create and manage detailed profiles for each cat, including medical history, age, breed, and preferences.
- Google Calendar Integration: Set reminders for vet appointments, medications, and vaccinations.
- Health and Vet Reminders: Set reminders for important health-related activities.
- Emergency Tips and Contacts: Provide immediate advice for common cat emergencies and list nearby 24/7 vet clinics.
- Nutrition and Diet Plans: Offer personalized diet plans and feeding reminders.
- Behavioral Training Tips: Library of training tips for common issues like litter box training and scratching.
- Community Forum: Space for users to ask questions, share experiences, and connect with other cat owners.
- Resource Library: Articles, videos, and resources on cat care, behavior, and health.
- Activity and Playtime Suggestions: Provide suggestions to keep cats engaged and healthy.
- Integration with Pet Services: Easy bookings for grooming, boarding, and sitting services.
- Lost & Found Assistance: Tips and connections to local lost & found pet services.
- Personalized Notifications: Seasonal care tips, grooming reminders, and hydration alerts.
- Veterinarian Q&A Sessions: Live Q&A sessions with veterinarians or cat behaviorists.
- Scenario: Sarah, a new cat owner, has questions about her cat’s eating habits and litter box training.
- Interaction: She uses the chatbot to get answers and sets reminders for vet visits and vaccinations using the Google Calendar integration.
- Scenario: John, a pet shelter owner, needs to keep track of multiple cats' health records and vet appointments.
- Interaction: He creates profiles for each cat, updates their medical history, and downloads the information as PDFs for records.
- Frontend: Next.js, React.js, React Hook Form
- Backend: Supabase
- Authentication: Clerk
- APIs: OpenAI API for the chatbot, Google Calendar API
- Testing: Jest
- Deployment: Vercel
- Other Tools: Git, Canva for visual work, PDF generation package
- Objective: To provide a free, reliable source of cat care information and support for cat owners and shelters.
- Success Criteria: Popularity of the app in Berlin and Indonesia, user engagement, and positive feedback from the community.
- Challenge: Integrating OpenAI for the chatbot and Google Calendar API for reminders.
- Solution: Extensive reading of documentation, utilizing Stack Overflow for troubleshooting, and iterative testing.
- Challenge: Designing an intuitive and appealing user interface.
- Solution: Leveraging Canva for design work and conducting user testing to refine the UI/UX.
- Challenge: Balancing multiple responsibilities while developing Whisker.
- Solution: Prioritizing tasks, setting realistic deadlines, and maintaining a consistent work schedule.
- Current Phase: Still in development with ongoing improvements.
- User Feedback: Positive feedback from initial beta testers, especially regarding the chatbot and health reminders.
- Feature Expansion: Adding community forums, integrating with more pet services, and enhancing the nutrition plan algorithms.
- User Validation: Implementing measures to validate user integrity and prevent misuse.
- Community Building: Encouraging active user participation to create a supportive network for cat owners.