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My super market has a dog food sale every 11th (wan-wan), and a cat food sale every 22nd (nyan-nyan). Another home center near us does it instead on the 1st and 2nd. Are these kind of pet food sales widespread in Japan? Please let us know in the comments.
I happened upon this article when I was searching for something completely unrelated, so I thought I would share it with you.
The Japanese market for US-made dog and cat food, according to US government trade statistics, ranks as the nation’s second-largest export market, behind Canada. In 2005, US petfood companies shipped almost US$200 million worth of dog and cat food to Japan. This is why, for the past 13 years, the Pet Food Institute (PFI) has been actively training Japanese veterinarians on the advances in pet nutrition and working to teach Japanese pet owners about the importance of feeding the country’s 12.1 million pet dogs and 8.5 million pet cats a complete and balanced petfood diet.
Source: Proper pet nutrition in Japan
I have noticed myself that over the past few years, my cat’s veterinarians have taken more of an interest in her diet. When I first brought her to my current vet in Tsukuba (six years ago), I asked about what kind of food I should be giving her. I got a fairly vague answer with no specific recommendations. Since then, I have noticed a large number of food samples showing up at the clinic, with Science Diet, Iams, and Eukanuba dominating the shelves. These products weren’t even available in Japan when I first got my cat (1998), or if they were, they were rather hard to come by. I’m glad that we now have the option of feeding our pets these products, but I confess that in these days of pet food scandals, I am still not 100% sure which one is best for her. I have been feeding her Science Diet for many years now, but I often wonder exactly how much science has gone into the food.
This bowl talks to your pet — in your own voice!
Have you found that your pet simply will not eat when you are away from home? Many animals that are used to having their caretakers near them regularly can suffer from separation anxiety. With this little gizmo your cat or dog will be able to hear your voice as it eats, making it feel more comfortable with its surroundings. The ChatterBowl will play a recording of your voice when the sensor detects an animal eating from it based on the amount of light changing.
Not much to look at, but the ChatterBowl can be used as either a water bowl or for feeding your pet. It can be easily cleaned by simply removing the talk-box and washing the bowl. You can also wash the talk-box itself using cold water with nothing abrasive or harsh being used. Make your pet happy today!
An Aw/F member found this article about lead in pet toys. She says:
I have been checking toys at stores here in a Japan and almost all are made in China. There is a Mr. Pet brand which seems to be affiliated with the US brands Kong and Nylabone. Both of those are made in the US. I also found one latex squeaky toy made in Spain and another made in Malaysia. All others are from China. I am referring to dog toys here because I don’t have any cats. I would love to know how we could have toys here tested for lead and other deadly chemicals.
Do any of our readers know how we can test pet toys for lead in Japan (or anywhere else)?
The Ekinet Train Shop (affiliated with JR East) sells a hot pad that is perfect for pets (especially heat-seeking cats). In fact, this pad is now being marked as a “leg warmer”, but when I bought mine from this site, it was listed as a “pet pad”. The pad uses “certified space technology” (or at least, that is what it says on the embroidered label on the pad) to keep your pet warm without electricity. I am not sure how it works, exactly, but when your pet lies down on the pad, their own body heat warms the pad up (just in the part where they are lying) and keeps them warm.
My cat LOVES her pad. I put a light blanket over it so that I can wash the blanket when the cat hair builds up. I feel better when I leave her alone in my unheated apartment during the daytime now that she has a little self-heated place to sleep. I was sceptical about buying it at first, but it I’m glad that I did because it definitely does work, and my cat really seems to like it.
I have never brushed my cat’s teeth (I’m pretty sure she would be rather vocal in her displeasure should I try), but I hear that it is a popular thing to do these days. If you brush your pet’s teeth with PetEdge toothpaste, please read the following article regarding a recall.
I am not sure whether this phenomenon is limited to Japan, but these days you can find bottled drinks for pets in many pet stores. These drinks purport to give your pets a boost in certain vitamins they might be lacking and even help them in their battle to lose weight. Are these drinks just a new way to separate trusting consumers from their hard-earned cash, or do they really work? Have any of you tried them?
Japanese: 愛犬生活習慣 Water 「スリムウォータコタラ」
Romaji: aiken seikatsu shuukan water “slim water kotara”
Claim: Helps your dog lose weight
Japanese: 愛犬生活習慣 Water 「プラセンタウォータ」
Romaji: aiken seikatsu shuukan water “placenta water”
Claim: Helps your dog stay healthy and active every day
アミノペッツ
amino pets
Claim: Helps your pet lose weight by replacing amino acids
Vウォーター
V water
Claim: Natural water with a combination of low magnesium and vanadium
またたびWATER
matatabi WATER
Claim: Invigorates your cat like matatabi (cat nip)
またたびWATER尿臭カット
matatabi WATER nyou shuu katto
Claim: Invigorates your cat and decreases the odor of urine
If you have tried any of these and found them to be effective, please let us know!
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