Some time ago I wrote about the robotic d*g that has been promoted as an easy care “pet” that requires no food or water but offers attention and affection at the push of a button. To me, that simply doesn’t seem right…although maybe it’d be a plus for training some folks to live with pets without the risk of endangering the pet.

Now they’ve got robot rodents!

Looks pretty real, huh?

Rocky, a mechanical critter, helps researchers at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts better understand all-things-squirrel. Researchers also use fake lizards in Indiana, counterfeit sage grouse in California, and bizarre bugs (cockroaches) in Belgium to study communication, social cues and survival instincts.

You’d think that the critters could tell the difference between pretend and reality, though. I know that my cat Seren would be really “hissed off” if she finally caught one of those cheeky squirrels, elusive birds or (yuck) tempting bugs only to find it didn’t taste, smell, or crunch in a satisfying way.