Background: Hospitalisation can be distressing for people living with cognitive impairment. Whilst robotic pets have been shown to improve wellbeing with cognitive impairment in community settings, the effect on hospitalised patients is unknown. Objective: The primary aim of this study was to describe the impact of robotic pets in hospital inpatients living with cognitive impairment, from the perspective of staff and next of kin. The secondary objectives were to assess changes in quality of life and identify barriers limiting the utilisation of robotic pets in hospital settings. Methods: This was a pilot cross-sectional observational study was conducted at an aged care and rehabilitation hospital. Next of Kin (NOK) and Staff experience surveys were collected. Patient quality of life was assessed using a validated QUALID tool (Quality of Life in Dementia) before and after the intervention. Results: Twelve patients were captured with robotic pet intervention. Staff and NOK survey experience was overwhelmingly positive with improvements in patient engagement (100%), mood (91.6%), and care provision (91.6%) and an improvement in QUALID scores (92.3%). Barriers identified included infection prevention, perceived temporary attachment and higher patient and staff turnover. Conclusion: This pilot study identified a positive impact of robotic pets for hospitalised patients living with cognitive impairment. Barriers to implementation for future consideration included mitigation of infection risk, and long term structures to streamline use in high turnover transient inpatient settings.