Is your pet pregnant? Are you worried you’ll miss the birth?

Well, salvation is at hand with a new device that promises to alert you when your fur child is about to deliver little fur kids to the world.

The Addik Pet is a birthing detector for your pet. This patented device detects the first significant loss of amniotic fluid before delivery using a “smart membrane” that was designed to detect amniotic fluid. The membrane is installed inside the delivery tray and also doubles as a cozy blanket.

Connected to its control panel by conductive Velcro (there is apparently such a thing, isn’t science amazing), the membrane communicates with the pet owner, puppy farm owner or shelter volunteers via Wi-Fi to let them know it’s all about to happen.

The “smart textile” is machine washable and reusable.

The device will give you up to 20 minutes of pre-birth warning, but if you can’t make it to the birth, have no fear, because it also doubles as a webcam so you can live stream this magic moment in your fur child’s life for all and sundry to watch. Or if Fluffy’s more intimate moments should be a family only affair, you can set the stream to private.

You also don’t have to stop at live streaming the birth, you can also use the device as a puppy cam; Addik Pet lets you “see it grow as if you were with it on a daily basis … it is as if you were with it from the beginning to the end of the weaning period” … because nothing beats IRL interactions versus a live web stream.

In all seriousness though, the device might have some utility with breeders who may want prior warning of an impending birth and want to promote their puppies and kittens to potential buyers, or even mentally deranged pet obsessives who pretend to be their dogs on Twitter, but it’s still a seriously over-glorified webcam with a birth detection advice.

How much for this marvel of modern science?

A discounted CA$795 ($624) on Kickstarter, down from the RRP of CA$995 ($781).

If your generosity doesn’t extend to dropping nearly a grand on a webcam, a supporters package gives you VIP access to the website and goodies such as a “splendid” t-shirt and a “splendid” shopping bag, all for the bargain price of CA$200 ($157).

At the time of writing, the Addik Pet has raised CA$1,512 from a target goal of CA$100,000.