Products

Ever since the invention of the auto-flushing doggie latrine, we've wondered: can Tokyo's animals actually get more pampered? As this sample of the latest pet products illustrates, the answer is yes.

Doggy Bag

if you have ever walked your small dog and been afraid he might get trampled in the crowd, with doggy bag, you can just pick him up out of harm's way (Toa Security, PB, 3209-2617).

The Tokyo cable radio provider Yusen 440 (0120-117-440) boasts a channel playing music that veterinarians reportedly claim has a calming effect on cats and dogs -- including the Carpenters and Bach. A cheaper alternative to Yusen's ¥36,000 start-up fee is The Cat CD (Sony Music Entertainment, ¥2500), with snippets of the Hungarian Symphony No.5 with added meows, plus the unforgettable "Cat Aerobics."

Dog Seatbelt
Everyone knows that seatbelts could save your life in a car accident. Dogs deserve the same consideration. Buckle up your dog. (Toa Security, PB, 3209-2617)

Ferret Goods
With the ferret boom has come an array of products, including the ferret hammock, the ferret tube, the ferret sleeping bag and the ferret top hat and bandana (Business Ventures Japan, 3725-5848).

Pet Trivia

A 1992 Sanwa Bank Survey	Ginza's Beams boutique	Neko News is a monthly	There's more to pet hygiene
showed the average pet-owner spends ¥290,000 a year per dog and ¥210,000 a year per cat. So why is a bank an authority on households pets? Answer: because they want a piece of that action. At Sanwa, pets can open accounts and receive their own personalized passbooks, complete with photo. It only takes ¥1 to open the two types of low interest account, and ¥10,000 to open the higher yielding variety. When the animal dies, the savings are yours. "If you think logically about this," a Sanwa spokesperson tells us, "you'll realize that dogs and cats aren't the same as humans, so it must be their owners that actually apply."	(3567-2223) sells designer duds for women - plus matching blouses and hats for their cats and dogs. Isn't Pierre Cardin for pooches a little over the top? "Well, we don't carry silly things like bracelets or accessories," a Beams spokesman retorted. "Just clothes."	eight-page tabloid of articles, essays and cat-related announcements which the publishers claim cats and their owners can "enjoy together." Published by International House (5742-2828). ¥320 per issue plus ¥30 mailing charge.	than scraping unchi off the kerb. Some locally produced products include a pet-mouthwash called Mouth Clean (¥800 per bottle) and a shower cologne called Kessi Life (sales slogan: "Even if pets, dress up"). A car wash in Tokyo's Kokubunji City has coin-operated shower facilities exclusively for animals. The pet showers cost ¥300; pet dryers the same. And if you forget your Kessi Life cologne, don't fret; pet-sized sachets of shampoo are available for ¥100.