Pets: The Facts

Breakdown of pet ownership by animal:
Dogs (60 percent) Cats (26.1 percent) Birds (17.4 percent) Fish (15.3 percent) Reptiles (1.1 percent)
There are 7 million dogs and 5 million cats in Japan
Percentage of people who own pets: 34.7
Percentage of non-owners who would like to own a pet: 63.7
percentage of owners who keep pets because they "make them feel good": 27.9
Number of dogs turned over to or caught by hokenjo(pounds) in Tokyo in 1988: 27,934. Number of cats: 27,415
There are some 850 animal hospitals in Tokyo.

Boning Up Fish In Space

The popular TV program Amazing Animals devised this three-part canine IQ test.
Part One: spatial awareness. Take a box and cut a hole big enough to see through, but too small for the dog to enter. Get inside the box and open a can of food. If the dog goes immediately around the box and enters, award him 3 points. If he tries to pass through the slit, then goes around, 2 points. If he tries repeatedly to crawl through the hole, 1 point.
Part Two: memory. Get a friend to restrain the dog. Put food in a bowl and hide it, then take the dog for a five-minute walk. When you return home, if the dog immediately tries to find the food, award four points. If he does something else, then tries to find the food, 3 points. If he eventually stumbles across the food, 2 points. If he completely forgets about the food, 1 point.
Part Three: linguistic recognition. Look at your dog and shout a nonsense name like "Gacha!" Then call out his real name. If he responds to only the second call, 3 points. If he responds to both, 2 points. If he responds to the wrong name, 1 point.
Result: If your dog scores 9 points, you have a genius pooch; 5 to 8 points is average; below 5 is one dumb mutt.

Four killifish accompanied astronaut Chiaki Mukai on his 15-day space shuttle filght in 1994. After returning safely to Earth, the killfish - called Genki, Yume, Cosmo, and Murai - produced 1300 offspring, which were distributed among 300 schools, including one in Mukai's Gunma hometown.

Applause for Paws
Last year the Keio Plaza Hotel gave over its entire 74th floor to a most unusual awards ceremony. To the applause of vets and owners, 20 dogs were presented with certificates in the first-ever proze-giving bash thrown by Tokyo's Japanese Animal Hospital Association. SInce 1986, the association has employed 9500 dogs, 2800 cats and 700 rabbits, hamsters and birds to entertain and educate residents at nursing homes, kindergartens, schools and hospitals. The animals are also used in "pet therapy," whereby problem children learn how to care for themselves and others by first caring for a pet.

Boning Up	Fish In Space
The popular TV program Amazing Animals devised this three-part canine IQ test. Part One: spatial awareness. Take a box and cut a hole big enough to see through, but too small for the dog to enter. Get inside the box and open a can of food. If the dog goes immediately around the box and enters, award him 3 points. If he tries to pass through the slit, then goes around, 2 points. If he tries repeatedly to crawl through the hole, 1 point. Part Two: memory. Get a friend to restrain the dog. Put food in a bowl and hide it, then take the dog for a five-minute walk. When you return home, if the dog immediately tries to find the food, award four points. If he does something else, then tries to find the food, 3 points. If he eventually stumbles across the food, 2 points. If he completely forgets about the food, 1 point. Part Three: linguistic recognition. Look at your dog and shout a nonsense name like "Gacha!" Then call out his real name. If he responds to only the second call, 3 points. If he responds to both, 2 points. If he responds to the wrong name, 1 point. Result: If your dog scores 9 points, you have a genius pooch; 5 to 8 points is average; below 5 is one dumb mutt.	Four killifish accompanied astronaut Chiaki Mukai on his 15-day space shuttle filght in 1994. After returning safely to Earth, the killfish - called Genki, Yume, Cosmo, and Murai - produced 1300 offspring, which were distributed among 300 schools, including one in Mukai's Gunma hometown. Applause for Paws Last year the Keio Plaza Hotel gave over its entire 74th floor to a most unusual awards ceremony. To the applause of vets and owners, 20 dogs were presented with certificates in the first-ever proze-giving bash thrown by Tokyo's Japanese Animal Hospital Association. SInce 1986, the association has employed 9500 dogs, 2800 cats and 700 rabbits, hamsters and birds to entertain and educate residents at nursing homes, kindergartens, schools and hospitals. The animals are also used in "pet therapy," whereby problem children learn how to care for themselves and others by first caring for a pet.

Playpets of the Month

All together now: aaaaaaaah
Hachiko, Tokyo's favorite puppy, is dead, but his memory lives on in "copy-dog" stories like this one. A homeless man named Sugawara and his white Akita dog, Chako, were a regular sight in Aoba, Sendai. Sugawara shared his bento with Chako, who knew how to fetch a local bar owner when his drunken master passed out. Then, last October, Sugawara was found lying dead on a bench, still clutching Chako's leash in his hand. Chako was taken to an animal control center, where - heartbroken and lonely - he snuffed it.

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