However the gadget has also also won a following among cats – perhaps surprisingly as it comes without a mouse.

Pet owners wishing to pamper their animals with the ultimate toy when it becomes available in Britain next month will have to spend more than £700.

A series of videos on YouTube, some of which have attracted over 20,000 views, demonstrate the versatility of the iPad with cats using the interactive screen to chase a virtual butterfly, play with a neon piece of string , tackle space invaders and even perform music on a ‘Magic Piano’ application.

There are currently 940 cat related applications available for the iPad. These include the popular “LOLcats app” which produces a random image of a cute cat with a witty caption and the controversial “Cat Annoy” which produces 8 different sounds each designed to tease your pet. Currently all of these apps are all designed for human use.

However, the discovery of a new audience is likely to mean the App Store will soon be flooded with cat-friendly games and applications to keep customers’ pets entertained.