TOKYO: A Tokyo clothing company has teamed up with veterinarians to develop a wearable fan for pets, hoping to attract worried dog or cat owners who are suffering from Japan’s summer heat. Can’t shed their fur in the season.
The device consists of a battery-operated, 80-gram (3-ounce) fan that is attached to a mesh garment and blows air around the animal’s body.
Rei Azawa, president of maternity clothing company Sweet Mummy, says she was inspired to create it by seeing her pet Chihuahua tired every time she was taken out for a walk in the sweltering summer heat.
“This year there was almost no rainy season, so the warm days came early, and in that sense, I think we’ve created a product that’s right for the market,” she said.
After Tokyo’s rainy season ended in late June, the Japanese capital experienced the longest heat wave on record, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) for nine days.
“I usually use a dry ice pack (to keep the dog cool). But I think it’s easier to walk our dog if we have this fan,” says the owner of a miniature poodle named Pudding and a terrier named Miku. said 48-year-old Mami Kumamoto.
The device debuted in early July and Sweet Mummy has received about 100 orders for the product, Ozawa said. It comes in five different sizes and costs 9,900 yen ($74).
