Long gone are the days of scratching posts and balls of wooll; the latest must-have cat accessory is a lifelike robotic mouse.

Dubbed Mousr, the smart device is the first robotic cat toy that can see and react to a feline’s movements just like real prey.

And finished models of the device will use artificial intelligence to learn about a cat’s behaviour.

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The robotic toy uses artificial intelligence to learn and react to a cat’s behaviour, in the same way a mouse of bird would, for example. Sensors built along the sides and top of the Mousr (pictured) recognise ‘external forces’ such as a cat’s paw

‘Keeping cats as pets indoors is only a recent trend,’ said the Illinois-based developers from Petronics.

‘As such, domestic cats have maintained their natural hunting instincts, but lack a proper outlet to express them.’ That’s where Mousr comes in.

The robotic toy uses artificial intelligence to learn and react to a cat’s behaviour, in the same way a mouse of bird would, for example.

Sensors built along the sides and top of the Mousr recognise ‘external forces’ such as a cat’s paw.

HOW DOES MOUSR WORK? The robotic toy uses artificial intelligence to learn and react to a cat’s behaviour, in the same way a mouse of bird would, for example. Sensors built along the sides and top of the Mousr recognise ‘external forces’ such as a cat’s paw. The gadget also has LEDs for eyes that change colour when it needs charging. While infrared sensors and a 360-degree camera means the toy can react to, dodge and entice cats to play. Plus, a speaker can be used to attract the cat's attention using your voice, or other noises. An app, that will work as a remote control for Mousr, is also in development. Backers can currently buy a Mousr for $100 (£63) from the campaign. Advertisement

While infrared sensors and a 360-degree camera means the toy can react to, dodge and entice cats to play.

The gadget also has LEDs for eyes that change colour when it needs charging.

‘With his ability to sense and react to your cat, Mousr is the only toy capable of truly reproducing the hunting experience for indoor cats.

‘We really wanted Mousr to be as small and fast as possible, but we also wanted him to have personality.

‘We have been working with several designers and engineers with a lot of experience in order to ensure Mousr’s industrial design will be able to handle all our physical and technological requirements while remaining sleek and cute.’

The team said that to to give Mousr the kind of intelligence it needs to outsmart a cat requires in-depth knowledge of signal processing and artificial intelligence.

‘The nuances of his intelligence using his unique vision system haven't been implemented yet,' contuned the developers.

'But our team’s 14 years of combined experience in digital signal processing, low-power systems, and 3D audio localisation make us the best team for giving Mousr the intelligence he needs to truly challenge your cat.’

The gadget (pictured) also has LEDs for eyes, that change colour when it needs charging. While infrared sensors and a 360-degree camera means the toy can react to, dodge and entice cats to play. And a built-in speaker can be used to attract the cat's attention using your voice, or other noises

An app, that will work as a remote control for Mousr, is also in development. The team is seeking $100,000 (£63,200) in funding on Kickstarter , and have since raised more than $18,650 (£11,780). The campaign runs until 6 December, and if successful, will begin shipping the gadgets internationally in March 2015

An app that will work as a remote control for Mousr is also in development.

The team is seeking $100,000 (£63,200) in funding on Kickstarter, and have since raised more than $18,650 (£11,780).

The campaign runs until 6 December, and if successful, will begin shipping the gadgets internationally in March 2015.

Backers can currently buy a Mousr for $100 (£63) from the campaign.

‘Without a doubt, Mousr is the most technologically advanced cat toy ever to exist,' said the developers.