3/18/2010

Washed up in Japan

Even though this cat and dog washing machine report is years old, but for past 48 hours I have seen a flurry of “news” including BBC International, none of which is original or accurate.
Let’s go to the real fun!

It turns out the Hello Kitty Washing Machine shown in the above video is NOT an idea from “gadget-mad Japan” as claimed by many major news outlets. The washer is a product from the USA (petspausa.com) where it has been in use for over 15 years. Not exactly “news,” is it?

The Joyful Honda pet superstore in Tokyo only has installed a localized Japanese version of the PetSpa Cabin. With the “recent” interest of the video, one of the major Pet Spa Cabin operators in the US felt compelled to make a formal statement regarding this video back in February of 2007.

9news — Pet Washing Machine slideshow

petspausa.com : “If it is safe for people, it is safe for pets. Customers have gone in the Cabin.”

Embiggen to 535×431.

Posted by Taro in Business News, Electronics, General | 4 Comments »

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1. Taro Says:
   March 18th, 2010 at 11:34 am

   
   South Park–”Cheesing”

   Although, I think that Kenny’s blowing a cat looks more fun, the Pet Spa Cabin operator felt compelled to post the following disclaimer.

   bubblespetspa.com/PetSpaFacts_2.doc
   
   You Tube and CNN Video Response
   {dated Feb. 1, 2007 10:35 am}

   Recently, a video of a cat in the Pet Spa Cabin was posted on You Tube. This video is 1 minute and 37 seconds long and shows a cat jumping around in the pet spa. The cat looks stressed but was calming towards the end of the video. Bubbles Pet Spa would like to address some of the concerns of pet owners and describe the benefits of the Pet Spa.

   Points about the video:
   1. When a cat is jumping around in the pet spa, we would end the cycle. The Pet Spa is equipped with a “stop” button that stops the cycle and allows us to remove the animal, if needed.

   Bathing Cats:
   • Bathing a cat is very dangerous to the cat and the bather.
   • 95% of our injuries (bites and scratches) occur as a result of hand bathing cats.
   • Cats typically do not like to be bathed, so they scratch or bite. The Pet Spa eliminates these injuries to the cat and the bather.
   • Cats are sometimes skunked or need to have urine/feces washed off of them. The Pet Spa provides a safe environment to remove these odors and chemicals.
   • Most cats have never been washed by hand and vets typically have to give cats sedatives or restrain them when washing is necessary. The Pet Spa eliminates this need and provides the cat the ability to move around freely and not be restrained.
   • Cats can break a bone or even break their necks and potentially hang themselves when in their harness during a hand bath. For these reasons, the safest way to bathe a cat is in the Pet Spa Cabin.
   • A very small percentage of pets that are washed in the Pet Spa cabin are cats.

   Other points:
   • The Pet Spa Cabin has a safety record of 15 years
   • Bubbles has safely washed over 1,000 pets in the cabin over the last 18 months
   • The owners of Bubbles Pet Spa have gone into the Pet Spa Cabin and ran the wash and dry cycle to ensure it was safe. If it’s safe for people, it’s safe for pets.
   • Customers have gone in the Cabin

   General Pet Spa facts:
   1. The Pet Spa Cabin eliminates the stress produced by current pet cleaning methods.
   2. Lower stress on pets compared to traditional bathing due to the fact that we do not use a restraining system and there is no stranger restraining or holding the pet.
   3. The Cabin eliminates the need for punishment or sedatives when washing nervous or aggressive cats and dogs.
   4. Several programs are available to meet the different needs of each Pet and breed.
   5. The time of the bath is usually reduced in half compared to traditional bathing.
   6. Our technology does not remove the Pets’ natural protective coating which is regularly removed in traditional bathing methods. This natural coating protects the pet’s skin against bacteria and skin disease.
   7. You could bathe your pet as often as you want because the unique technology does not remove the natural protective coating of the Pet coat preventing them from skin problem in the future and creating a healthier coat.
   8. The Cabin provides a warm hydro-massage shower stimulating the circulation which is very beneficial for arthritis, muscle weakness, physical therapy and rehabilitation.
   9. Temperatures are precisely maintained at the recommended levels by the Board of Veterinary Medicine.
   10. During the drying process the air is distributed evenly around the Cabin. This is more pleasant for the pet than the normal method using a direct stream of air.
   11. Water and air temperatures are constantly monitored by the computer, which is programmed to automatically shut down the Cabin if changes of more than 3 degrees are detected.
   12. The air inside the cabin is constantly renewed via a ventilation circuit.
   13. The pet is placed looking through the window so that the water doesn’t go directly into the eyes.
   14. If the door is opened during the washing or drying cycle, the cabin’s safety features automatically stop the process.
   15. Reduces injuries to pets and staff.

2. Taro Says:
   March 19th, 2010 at 9:21 am

   Ahhh, the plot thickens…
   There are all sorts of claims about who “invented” the dog/cat washing machine.

   http://spi.com.sg — Mon May 18, 2009 6:47 pm
   French Invented Automatic Dog Washing Machine

   

   BBC News video of French machine
   2007/11/07 http://news.bbc.co.uk

   ---

   AP updated 6:39 p.m. ET May 13, 2005
   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7750335
   The concept was invented in Spain in 1993, imported into the United States in 2000, and made its debut this spring.

3. Taro Says:
   March 21st, 2010 at 12:03 am

   Mo betta…
   

   

4. AbusedPets Says:
   March 24th, 2010 at 11:29 am

   Good morning, this was a really quality article [about the Japanese cat and dog washing machine]. I’d like to write like this also–taking time and real effort to make a good [goofy] article… But hey, what can I say?… I’m lazy and never seem to get anything done.

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