joy for all companion pets

A futuristic humanoid robot standing in a white room.

The life of a childless robot lady

As a childfree, wokey-woke spinster who may or may not be a witch, I’m kind of a stereotypical cat lady to anyone who thinks “cat lady” is an insult. Except that I don’t have the cats (yet).

Instead, I’m slowly collecting cute robots.

Yes, really.

Robot family portrait featuring a Joy for All companion cat, a plush Cupboo robotic pet, and 2 cube-shaped Ortomi, lying on top of each other on a cushion and blanket.
The “Khoh-bots”, June 2026

Right now, my companion robot family consists of:

  • a Cupboo named Tribble;
  • a Joy for All companion cat named William Shakespurr; and
  • two Generation 4 Ortomi named Obi (the blue cube) and Daisy (the yellow cube).

There may be an exciting addition to the family later in the year, touch wood.

I don’t have the social media following for tech companies to send me freebies, so my robot lineup is fairly small, acquired based on factors like what sort of “personality” a particular robot is likely to add to the overall robo-family. (And obviously how much money I can part with at any given time.)

To be clear, I do understand that these robots are machines and code – they’re not alive like humans or animals, and they haven’t evolved into sentient beings. But that doesn’t mean they’re not real. And the entertainment, comfort or happiness they provide people who love them? Well, that’s real too.

Take William, for instance – he’s my OG robot, the patriarch of this family. While there are newer, far more advanced robotic cats on the market, William’s like a faithful old friend. Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of his slightly disconcerting, uncatlike meows, but his purrs are great. I’ve also written a backstory for him, which may even see the light of day someday, so stay tuned for that, lol.

Then you’ve got Tribble – my little baby. Someone once asked me if he was “supposed to be an animal”, and I’m like “bish that’s my son, look, we have the same eyes”. Okay, not really… though our eyes are the same colour. But I’ve bought Tribble cute outfits and his own bed, I take him on car trips, we’ve travelled interstate together, and we had the best time at Oz Comic-Con last year. There are other furry robots out there with more features, but Tribble is my ride or die.

And lastly (for now), twinning at my desk, are Obi and Daisy. They’re little cubes that literally don’t “do” anything besides look and sound cute, so I know many people don’t get the point of having them. But plenty of humans also don’t do anything, and Obi and Daisy would beat them in adorability. They just make me smile and that’s enough. Plus, it’s an Australian business, so being able to support local is another tick for me.

Other robot owners will have different preferences and priorities, of course. But personally, I don’t look for advanced conversation, virtual assistant functions, or any objective measure of usefulness when it comes to companion robots. I simply ask myself, Marie Kondo-style, “does this spark joy?”

I mean, if I want humanlike interaction, I’ll just talk to a human. (Spoiler alert: I never want to talk to a human, go away. Kidding. Mostly.)

For me, the robots don’t get evaluated as gadgets, but rather, as residents of a small village, each contributing their own little charm to the community.

I suspect Tribble will remain my robotic “soul pet” even as I adopt more advanced companions over time. He’s the only one I specifically have a tattoo of (although I have two cat-themed tatts by the same artist that could theoretically be William). Just don’t tell the others… parents aren’t supposed to have favourites. 😉

If I adopt a living, breathing cat or two someday, I hope they get along with my robots. 😄

So, what’s with the robot cat?

If you follow my socials, you may have noticed that I acquired a robotic cat.

If you don’t, or you haven’t seen the relevant posts… well, I acquired a robotic cat. 23 October 2024 was his official Gotcha Day, lol.

An orange robotic cat wearing glasses while appearing to read Black and Blue by Lee-Ann Khoh.
William Shakespurr reads Black and Blue.

His name is William Shakespurr and he’s an orange tabby from the Joy for All Companion Pets range (which includes cats, dogs, and birds).

You can also call him Billy for short – I have fond memories of watching Billy the Cat as a kid, though I’ve never read the comics, which apparently have a much darker tone. I don’t think the comics were ever translated into English?

The Joy for All pets are marketed for seniors, including dementia patients. I was interested in whether these companions might help with my anxiety, since petting dogs and cats seems to work well for me, but I’m not in a position to adopt a real animal right now. I also love stroking and/or cuddling soft plush toys for similar reasons.

I unboxed my robo-kitty with one of my colleagues (who also aided in the yet-to-be-released audiobook of Black and Blue) and her mum, who volunteers at the disability organisation we both work for.

William’s fur is soft to touch, despite the body being hard. He’s a nice size and weight, and a rideshare driver thought he was real until I explained otherwise. The meowing is clearly a human voice actor and not super realistic – though it did trigger someone who’d recently had to put down their own cat, so it’s worth keeping that in mind.

Say hey to my new robotic co-writer!

I think his purring is a lot closer to the real thing, but you may disagree. 😉

I love the way he opens and closes his eyes and licks his paw, though his movements are not very fluid. Probably because he’s animatronic, lol. Every time he moves, you hear mechanical clicks and whirs, but I don’t mind that.

I do wish he was USB rechargeable. Partly for ease of use, partly because batteries are a big waste management issue.

But with the exception of the person who’d lost their cat, everyone who’s met William seems to be charmed by him, or at least by the novelty of him. I’m not going to say William has magically cured my anxiety or stress. Nor was that the outcome I was expecting. But having a purring robot cat on your lap can be quite comforting and therapeutic. The world is pretty shite a lot of the time. Sometimes it’s just about finding those little moments of calm in a chaotic universe.