How pethitup works

We don't "translate" like a dictionary

No research can yet turn animal sounds into sentences. What is possible is guessing intent or emotion — hungry, wants to go out, scared — from statistics. That's why we always show percentages.

The data comes from real owners

Every clip is tagged with a situation (e.g. near mealtime) and the owner tells us whether the guess was right. If responding to the meaning made the pet stop, that answer gets the most weight.

What the system listens for

Length, rhythm, loudness, pitch and how it rises or falls, brightness, roughness (like a hiss) and low rumbles (like a purr) — then it compares with similar sounds in the library.

User reliability

Not every answer counts the same. People whose answers often agree with the majority get more weight. Cats and dogs are scored separately.

Your pet's dictionary

Every animal sounds different. The more of your pet's sounds you confirm, the more weight the system gives to that pet's own voice.

Privacy

We store clips to show results and improve the system. With Google sign-in we keep only your name, email and profile picture. You can delete your own clips any time from the result page. Please avoid recording people talking.

Cookies & ads

We use cookies to remember your sign-in and language, Google Analytics to count visitors, and we may show ads from Google AdSense. Google and its partners may use cookies to show relevant ads. You can turn off personalised ads at adssettings.google.com.

Not medical advice

If your pet seems unwell, lethargic, isn't eating or sounds like it's in pain, see a vet right away — don't wait for a website.

Translate a cat Translate a dog