Toy manufacturer Hasbro is making a new toy line of eerily lifelike robot cats targeted to the last frontier of consumers and a new demographic­­­­: senior citizens.

On the company's website, a series of robot pets that are, so far, just cats are the new 'Joy For All' product line. They are meant to bring comfort, companionship and fun for elder loved ones without the added burden of feeding and cleaning up mess.

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The cats have four C batteries and lifeless gaze. They look realistic enough with their faux feline fur in either orange tabby, silver, or creamy white, and automated cat-like movements. When put aside or left alone, they tend to sleep and automatically close their eyes, thus conserving and extending their battery life.

The company Hasbro has not given too much detail about how it works, but a new vibration technology allows the robot pets to give responsive purrs that both sound and feel incredibly realistic. The built-in sensors that are designed to respond to touch and motion allow them to purr and meow when someone pets them. A pat on the head will also prompt them to move toward one's hand, nuzzle closer with a pet to the left cheek, and roll over for a belly rub when they are stroked on the back.

The robot cats are now sold on Amazon for $99 US.

These robot cats may seem strange, but it pays to remember that the automated pet Tamagotchi became enormously popular in the 1990s, even famous among people not in their 90s.

Other companion animals will soon follow in the Joy For All line that also supports Meals on Wheels America's efforts to reduce senior isolation and hunger. An even bigger hit on Hasbro's hands is a Companion Pet Grandchild that has chubby cheeks in need of cleaning, a genuine appreciation of hard candies, and a messy mop of hair that always needs grooming.

Huffington Post reports that studies show petting an animal can ward off depression and reduce stress. Forty three percent of seniors report feeling lonely on a regular basis, and were likely to decline and die sooner, according to a study by the University of California in San Francisco.

Tagshasbro, robot cats, lifelike robot cats, robot pets, hasbro