Latest news with #pets
Japan Times
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Cats, dogs, meerkats, goats: Interpets trade fair draws furry hordes
In the bustling city of Osaka, you might not expect to find an event with hundreds of animals running around — and not just cats and dogs, mind you. For the Interpets trade show, held this year from June 19 to 21, Kansai-area pet owners brought their rabbits, goats and even a meerkat or two to taste wares and try out new products from some of Japan's largest pet supply businesses. Inside the Intex Osaka convention center, 300 exhibitors showed off mostly new preparations of pet foods to assembled attendees, but cutting-edge products and live events also drew attention. Owners tucked their pets into walk-in showers and dryers for individual animals, while professional groomers raced against a clock and each other to perfect new styles on volunteer (or volunteered) pets. One such walk-in drier from South Korea-based Spacepet was particularly popular, with models in yellow, orange and white large enough to fit most cats and dogs around the size of toy poodles or Shiba inu (no such luck for Siberian husky owners like myself). The Intex Osaka convention center hosted the Interpets trade fair from June 19 to 21. | SHAWN B. SWINGER However, food was the main draw of Interpets. Aside from free samples of raw meat and jerky readily snapped up by hungry pets, a smorgasbord of conventional pet food was on offer alongside a swath of exhibitors selling organic sustenance, some like Okayama Prefecture-based Inaka no Ippin Honpo included animal products (deer ears, rabbit feet and emu eggs, to name a few) — that they claimed were hunted and processed by themselves. When all the excitement grew too much, there were 'manner corners' where animals could freely relieve themselves. Of the hundreds of dogs, cats and other animals witnessed, The Japan Times can report that no interspecies skirmishes occurred. Kumiko and Toshiko Suji, residents of Kyoto, attended Interpets with their pet goat, Mucca Ducati. Mucca (Italian for 'cow') is terrified of dogs, Kumiko said, so she had to wait in the convention center's food court with Mucca while she and her partner took turns perusing the booths to bring back treats. Kumiko was particularly interested in what kind of rabbit food was on sale, since she said that is Mucca's favorite. Mucca the goat's Kyoto-based owners brought her to Interpets so she would have a chance to try new food directly. | SHAWN B. SWINGER 'Mucca is very special to us, and we just want to give her the best life,' Kumiko said. The Sujis live in Kyoto but made the two-hour drive out to Osaka so that Mucca, who has her own Instagram page, can taste food and give her approval in real time. An Osaka resident, Tanue (he declined to provide his last name) brought his four dogs to the trade show: a Shetland sheepdog, two pit bulls and a Siberian husky, all of them under two years old. Tanue said he wants his dogs to have the best quality meat sourced directly from hunters, and the standout of the event for him was the booth from the online merchant FooDog selling food products from hunted deer. Tanue brought his four dogs to the Interpets convention, where he said he was on the hunt for 'the best' food products on offer. | SHAWN B. SWINGER The FooDog had brought three Doberman pinschers to munch on deer bones as a show of how much dogs would love their wares (indeed, these Dobermans were so calm that they barely gave any notice to the thousands of people and other dogs who walked inches away from them). 'My dogs deserve the best,' Tanue said of attending Interpets, 'so we came to give them the best.'
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
20 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week (June 21-27)
Woof — it's been a long week. If you feel like you've been working like a dog, let us offer you the internet equivalent of a big pile of catnip: hilarious posts about pets. We Shih Tzu not. Each week at HuffPost, we scour Bluesky, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, to find the funniest posts about our furballs being complete goofballs. They're sure to make you howl. (And if you want more, no need to beg ― you can check out last week's batch right here.) Dudes will see this image and be like'He's literally me' — F Train Freddy (@TheOpsWarrior) June 24, 2025 View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amy Sedaris (@amysedaris) The absolute state of these three. — Geoff (@kwoade) June 23, 2025 This is Sirius. He wanted to show off all of his best unconventional tricks. 14/10 what an absolute pro — WeRateDogs (@dog_rates) June 25, 2025 This notice from management at a U.S hotel shows the reasons why it allows dogs to stay — B&S (@_B___S) June 26, 2025 View this post on Instagram A post shared by Doggos Doing Things (@doggosdoingthings) A dog meets its younger — Interesting things (@awkwardgoogle) June 22, 2025 My sister got a new kitten and it immediately decided to loaf on a watermelon and bless us with this picture. — Faff (Fawful's Lover) (@faffreux) June 25, 2025 Nailed it.. 😂 — Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) June 26, 2025 — contents that ll heal your depression 🌻 (@catshealdeprsn) June 27, 2025 saw glengarry glen ross on broadway this weekend and also got this picture of michael mckean showing the crowd a picture of his dog — hil (@plume__) June 23, 2025 Dog Hides From Owners When Its Name Is Called — B&S (@_B___S) June 21, 2025 ㅤ — smol silly cat (@Catsillyness) June 22, 2025 — Posts Of Cats (@PostsOfCats) June 27, 2025 View this post on Instagram A post shared by SubwayCreatures (@subwaycreatures) 23 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week 22 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week 21 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week
TechCrunch
a day ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
PetLibro's new smart camera uses AI to describe your pet's movements, and it's adorable
PetLibro, the pet tech startup known for its automatic feeders and filtered water fountains, has just launched its latest product, the AI-powered Scout Smart Camera, designed to provide pet owners with real-time insights into their furbabies' activities and behaviors. Scout is similar to other pet cameras on the market; it monitors your pet in real-time and features two-way audio, allowing you to communicate with them if they're getting into mischief. The companion mobile app allows users to control the camera's movements, although the camera is also designed to detect and automatically follow their pet as they move past it. It can also make a chirping noise to grab their attention if you can't find them. What sets this device apart, however, is its AI capabilities. Scout uses pet recognition technology to track various activities, such as when your pet eats (which is helpful if they chew on things they shouldn't), drinks water, uses the litter box, or simply walks across the screen. It also captures surprise selfies of your pet when they are detected and provides daily highlights, storing clips in the cloud with up to a 30-day history. Additionally, Scout can recognize multiple pets, allowing it to track their activities separately. Users can currently set individual profiles for two pets in the app. 'Early on, our models struggled to tell similar-looking pets apart, which we knew was needed in many multi-pet pet households. Traditional facial recognition failed when pets moved quickly or shared features. This led us to develop a dynamic, first-of-its-kind (for an AI pet cam), feedback-driven system that improves through real-world use over time,' York Wu, founder and CEO, told TechCrunch. Image Credits:PetLibro A standout feature I appreciated as a pet owner is that the device doesn't just notify you of your pet's activities; it also provides cute descriptions. One of my favorites during testing was, 'Zelda is calmly strolling across the shiny floor, her nose pointed forward as she explores her surroundings with gentle curiosity.' How adorable is that? Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW Another way PetLibro's Scout camera stands out is its ability to share devices with up to five other family members and friends. If you're interested in trying the device, it's priced at $100. There are multiple subscription plans available; however, to access the AI features, you can opt for either the standard tier, which costs $12 per month, or the premium tier, priced at $17 per month. Another pet camera company, Furbo, offers a similar device that includes an AI 'Nanny' assistant for $7 per month. The camera itself is priced at $210. While PetLibro's Scout camera is priced lower than Furbo's, it currently lacks a key feature found in Furbo's offering: the ability to detect and alert owners to barking sounds. PetLibro is actively working on adding this, along with meowing detection, which may broaden its appeal, as Furbo is primarily marketed to dog owners. Additionally, the Scout device doesn't have a food dispenser, but PetLibro plans to integrate AI capabilities with select feeders and fountains, aiming to differentiate its growing product line from competitors. It should be noted that the company's privacy policy indicates that its system collects image and video data captured by the camera for use in improving the device, including its AI features. Other smart cameras, such as Google Nest and Amazon Ring, also state in their privacy policies that they collect user data to improve their services. According to PetLibro, the data is handled in accordance with cybersecurity standards. The device doesn't use audio for AI data collection.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Macaw 'Summons' Dad to Play Peek-a-Boo Like the Cutest Little Boss
Macaw 'Summons' Dad to Play Peek-a-Boo Like the Cutest Little Boss originally appeared on PetHelpful. Any pet parent knows that you can create a lifetime of fond memories with your pet kids. Some of the best moments happen when you least expect it, and an ordinary day can become the subject of a treasured story that you tell over and over again. One bird dad has a new moment to talk about and a cute video to show friends and family. In this clip, Louie the Macaw wanted to play a game of Peek-a-Boo, and he has the funniest way of grabbing dad's attention while he's in another room. It's game time for Louie! And who could say no to playing with this spirited Macaw? Since Louie seems to have started the game, this cannot be their first time playing Peek-a-Boo. This birdie must have thought that this instance was the perfect one to have a little fun with dad. As shown in the video, dad is in the kitchen doing his own thing. Then he hears 'Peek-a-Boo' from the excited parrot, and dad pops out and returns the call, playing along. They repeat this back and forth, and if you ask me, Louie is definitely makes this interaction so adorable is that this Macaw has made this game his own. While many of us may have played Peek-a-Boo the traditional way by covering our eyes, this little guy dramatically leans back and forth when calling out, 'Peek-a-Boo.' It's almost as if he doesn't want to get caught saying it. Maybe that's the rule for their version. Either way, seeing the exchange between them is what keeps viewers hitting replay. The TikTok post caption joked about Louie saying, 'It's the leaning for me,' and I have to agree because this little birdie is seriously into this game. Watching these two play together is so fun to see. But it's no surprise because this parrot is pretty active and loves to play with his parents. Just take a look at this video of Louie going on a little pretend shopping spree with mom. Louie having the mini shopping cart and items is beyond adorable. Something tells me that if this birdie believes in anything, it's playtime with the parents. And there's no doubt that Louie the Macaw knows how to have a good time, and I'm glad his parents decided to share this one to brighten up our day. If you want to check out more of Louie's fun antics, make sure to follow the @noplucksgiven TikTok page. I can't wait to see what Louie the Macaw gets into next! Macaw 'Summons' Dad to Play Peek-a-Boo Like the Cutest Little Boss first appeared on PetHelpful on Jun 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
It is the virtue-signalling Peta which is out of touch, not the Royal Family
As I journeyed through my childhood I had the joyous gift of companionship and unconditional love of my pet Cocker Spaniel, Mitzi. When, at the age of ten, I lost her to a cancerous tumour the shock taught me an unexpected lesson about loss and the realities of life. Once I became a parent my sons were raised intentionally alongside a pedigree Fox Terrier, Freddie, whose exuberance and loyalty taught them compassion for all animals that watching Lady and the Tramp or Sir David Attenborough could not match. I therefore applaud and support the Prince and Princess of Wales for immersing their children – George, Charlotte and Louis – in the valuable experience of witnessing their pet Cocker Spaniel, Orla, have a litter of four puppies with the possibility of them keeping at least one within their family. Our future King and Queen have been accused, though, of being 'out of touch' by the intentionally outrageous animal rights group, Peta, for not finding a dog at a rescue centre. Nonsense: it is the Wales's who are supremely in-touch with their role as parents building a caring family, while the virtue-signalling headline grabbers are themselves staggeringly out of touch. Peta is a registered charity that campaigns by attacking public figures and celebrities like Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper, so the headlines might generate donations, over £5m last year, to support 65 staff who then run more campaigns to raise more funds. Like other extremist groups that rely on shock tactics, Peta works against the cause it purports to support. It effectively places animal lovers in the same category as the animal abusers who should rightly feel the full force of the law. It also damages the reputation of vegans. Instead of caring about animal welfare, they come across as self-loathing humans who object to relationships with animals. Peta's founder, Ingrid Newkirk, has condemned the concept of pet ownership. Guide dogs for the blind would be replaced by humans in Peta's far-fetched world. In truth such a world would have far fewer animals, be they pets, livestock or wildlife because humans would cease to support their existence in any meaningful way. The Wales's are teaching valuable lessons about compassion, understanding and life's hard knocks through the joy of caring for a pet brought into the world by their older dog. They should be encouraged, while Peta should be condemned for seeming to care less about animal welfare and more about bashing pet-owners.
