I Scanned My Living Room With AI. What It Found Surprised Me.

Here's a confession: I'm one of the people building Borzi.

I spend a lot of time thinking about pet health and safety. I read veterinary studies, talk to pet owners, and work with the team developing features designed to help people keep their pets safe.

So naturally, I assumed my home would pass a pet safety check without any issues.

I was wrong.

Last month, I was testing a new Borzi feature called Room Scan. The concept is simple: take a photo of a room, and Borzi's AI looks for common hazards that could put your pet at risk.

I pointed my phone at my living room, expecting a clean result.

About 10 seconds later, the scan came back.

Four potential hazards. In a single room.

That caught me off guard. Not because the items were unusual, but because they were things I walked past every day without a second thought.

The Lily on My Kitchen Counter

The first thing Borzi flagged was a bouquet of flowers sitting on my kitchen counter. Among them were lilies.

They're beautiful flowers, and like many people, I didn't think much about them when they arrived as a gift.

The problem is that lilies are highly toxic to cats.

I've written about lily poisoning before, and I've spoken with pet owners whose cats required emergency treatment after coming into contact with them. Yet somehow, seeing them in my own home didn't trigger the same concern.

That's what makes household hazards so tricky.

Most pet accidents don't happen because owners are careless. They happen because everyday objects seem harmless until you look at them through the lens of pet safety.

Borzi's Room Scan identified the lilies almost instantly. Without that prompt, they probably would have remained on the counter unnoticed.

The Essential Oil Diffuser

The second alert surprised me even more.

I keep a small essential oil diffuser in my bedroom. Like many people, I use it occasionally to create a relaxing atmosphere.

Borzi flagged it and provided information about essential oils that may pose risks to cats, including tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, citrus oils, and others.

I'll be honest: this wasn't something I knew much about.

Afterward, I started talking to friends who own cats. Several of them used diffusers regularly, and most weren't aware there could be concerns depending on the oils being used.

That's one of the reasons we built Room Scan the way we did. It's not just about identifying objects. It's about helping pet owners learn about risks they may never have considered.

The Open Window

The third issue was something I'd never thought of as a hazard. I live on the third floor and often leave a window open for fresh air. Borzi flagged the window as a potential safety risk for cats.

At first, I thought that seemed excessive.

Then I started researching.

Veterinarians even have a term for these incidents: High-Rise Syndrome. Every year, cats are injured after falling from windows, balconies, and elevated ledges.

Many people assume cats always land safely on their feet.

While cats do have remarkable reflexes, falls from significant heights can still result in broken bones, internal injuries, or worse.

A secure window screen is a simple precaution, but it's one many people don't think about until after an accident happens.

The Cleaning Products Under the Sink

The final alert came from something incredibly ordinary. The cabinet beneath my kitchen sink wasn't fully closed. Inside were cleaning products, bleach, and dishwasher tablets.

Borzi identified the cabinet as a potential risk because pets are naturally curious. A small spill, chemical residue, or an unsecured container can create problems much faster than most owners realize.

What stood out to me was how easy it is to underestimate these risks.

Most people don't imagine a cat drinking bleach.

But exposure can happen in less obvious ways, such as stepping in a cleaning product and then grooming afterward.

Even brightly colored detergent pods can attract attention because they resemble toys. It's one of those hazards that's easy to overlook until someone points it out.

Why We Built Room Scan

After scanning my own home, I came away with a simple realization:

Knowledge alone isn't always enough.

I spend a significant amount of time learning about pet safety, and yet Borzi still found four things I hadn't actively considered.

That's because pet-safe environments aren't built from memory alone.

There are hundreds of potential hazards in a typical home:

Lilies and other toxic plants
Essential oils
String and yarn
Hair ties and rubber bands
Holiday decorations and tinsel
Open windows and balconies
Cleaning products
Antifreeze
Certain candles and fragrances
Common houseplants such as pothos and philodendron

No one remembers every risk all the time.

The goal of Room Scan isn't to replace common sense. It's to act as an extra set of eyes and help identify things that may otherwise go unnoticed.

What People Tell Us After Their First Scan

One of the most interesting parts of launching Room Scan has been reading feedback from pet owners.

One user told us:

"I've had cats for 15 years and thought I knew all the basics. The scan found a toxic plant that's been sitting in my living room for years."

Another said:

"I used Room Scan before bringing home my new kitten. It gave me a checklist of things to fix before she arrived."

And one recent adopter wrote:

"The scan helped me see my apartment differently. It pointed out things I never would have considered."

Those are exactly the kinds of stories we hoped to hear.

Not because the AI was right every time, but because it encouraged people to take a closer look at their environment.

A Room Doesn't Stay the Same

One thing I've learned is that pet safety isn't a one-time task. Homes change constantly. You buy a new plant. Someone brings flowers. You rearrange furniture. The seasons change and windows start opening again.

A room that was perfectly safe a few months ago might contain new risks today.

That's why we designed Room Scan to be something owners can use regularly rather than once and forget about.

A quick scan after introducing something new to your home can help catch potential problems before your pet discovers them first.

What You Can Do Right Now

Take a look around the room you're sitting in. Not from your perspective—from your cat's. What can they climb? What can they chew? What can they knock over? What can they reach when you're not watching?

That's often where the hidden risks are.

Most household hazards don't look dangerous. They look ordinary.

That's why they get missed.

Borzi's Room Scan was built to help pet owners spot those risks more easily and make small changes before they become bigger problems.

Your home should be one of the safest places your pet spends time.

Sometimes all it takes is one photo to see it from a different perspective.