Of Cats and Contents

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP_Aw9EMB-U)

Released at the end of April by Mars’ Temptations, CATTERBOX pretends to be a breakthrough innovation translating meows into cat speech through a 3D-printed connected collar. Beyond the buzz, what’s interesting here is the (pretended) use of technology to meet cat owners needs (how to better guess what my cat is trying to tell me ).

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDv9RptYeMw)

Purina Friskies has developed a range of games for cat that stimulate the cognitive senses of the pet. Designed to be played on tablet, the games are also very fluid on mobile and desktop.

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q34z5dCmC4M)

HenriLeChatNoir is a  series of film d’auteur-like videos that went quite successful on YouTube thanks to their anti-hero, Henri, a black cat who describes with a monotone voice the depressing life his owners impose on him. Beyond the posture, what’s interesting here is the point of view : it’s the cat who speaks, of the vet, of the flat, of humans, of cat food. This video got 9,824,000 views.

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB8x41yRZwc)

G-Paws is an app that allows owners track their pets thanks to a connected collar equipped with GPS. The app also allows keep track of encounters with other pet owners.

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wiy8DRIuh9U)

Launched in 2014, Bistro (now rebranded as CatFi) is an innovative feeding / diet monitoring solution that allows owners check their cats eating from a distance. Available in two different designs (one DIY cardboard box and an improved version of the original Bistro box) CatFi uses cutting-edge cat facial recognition technology on mobile through an app.

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Ruling The Waves

With 45k+ followers for only 44 posts on Instagram, one-eyed surfing cat Kuli is a growing social celebrity. Adopted from a shelter in Hawaï by two young teachers, Kuli was a frail and slowly recovering kitten in great need for care and attention. His outdoorsy owners not only provided love but also taught him to walk with a leash, go hiking and eventually share their surfing passion. Not afraid of water since he had been regularly bathed for treatment at a young age, @kulithesurfingcat is a striking example of a cat fully sharing the life of millennials.

https://www.instagram.com/kulithesurfingcat/

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For cat owners, the dog park is the Internet.

Steve Dale, pet journalist

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35T8wtmTbVg)

In 2014, L.A. based agency Soul Pancake wrote and produced a hilarious film for Purina Tidy Cats viewed 8,7 million times.  Beyond the entertainment, it carries a unique impactful message : in a world that gets more and more stressful and agressive, the soothing company of cats may well be the ultimate anxiolytic. The huge audience also reminds us that eye-opening real-life events are often a great asset for a digital content strategy.

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Social media has helped cat owners think outside the litter box.

Laura Moss, Editor-in-chief and Co-Founder of AdventureCats.org re

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Let’s go outside !

Outdoor activities always were associated with dogs. Almost never with cats. The success of 2016 Webby Award nominee AdventureCats.org gives proof that things are changing. With a growing audience of 57K+ on Instagram, AdventureCats.org looks very much like a bunch of 9 Millennials on a mission : “We’re a group of outdoorsy cat lovers who started AdventureCats.org as a resource for people looking for safe ways to explore the great outdoors with their feline friends. We also want to challenge negative stereotypes about cats and the people who love them in order to increase shelter cat adoptions.” And what better way to achieve that mission than by publishing a magazine-like website populated with inspiring stories of cats and owners fully living their passion for outdoors, detailed testimonials tips, useful best practices, and basically great original content about cats wellbeing and lifestyle ?

http://www.adventurecats.org/

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The Sound of Meowsic

Lead by Swedish Professor of Phonetics Suzanne Schötz, an international team of researchers in  has started to study how cats and humans use melody and other prosodic features when communicating with each others. “Understanding the vocal strategies used by humans and cats in human–cat communication will have have profound implications for our understanding of how we communicate with our pets in general, and has the potential to improve the relation between animals and humans within several fields, including animal therapy, veterinary medicine, and animal sheltering” states the team, whose work will be be funded by the Wallenberg Foundation from 2016 to 2021.

http://vr.humlab.lu.se/projects/meowsic/index.html

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Members of the Eco-Friendly Branded Family

As of the second week of May, and for two weeks, eco-friendly graffiti portraits of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana together with their pets will pop up in the streets of Milan and London, before moving to Paris and New York. Part of the ongoing (since 2013)  #DGFamily campaign that has helped the brand engage emotionally with consumers, this new operation also stresses the designers contemporary attitude towards their own cats and dogs : “we live together, we eat together. The cats and dogs are family” said Stefano Gabbana in a recent interview with The Telegraph.

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A study of 2,000 pet owners shows they take an average of five days out of the office in a year due to problems with their animals

Blue Cross, 2015

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jHA97HzhxE)

JUST FOR FUN and to remember that cat are also loved because they’re great fun.

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Business of Emotions

Emotions are the core business of meobox, “a happy humble cat subscription box company” with 570k+ followers on Instagram, whose “mission is to get you as passionate as we are to try out new products and enrich the lives of your kitties.” Cat owners are invited to subscribe to a month-to-month, 3-month, or 6-month option they can cancel anytime. “We carefully research and select items that are high quality and unique. We pick food and treats that are either made with natural ingredients, are tasty, nutritious, grain-free, organic, or locally made. You won’t find just the regular run-of-the-mill stuff in your meowbox. Our goal is to excite kitty and put a smile on your face” further asserts meowbox, also claiming to actively support cat shelters across the US and Canada. Last not least, meowbox invites brands to partner and helps them reach consumers.

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The Good Cat Photographer

MILLENNIAL self-taught cat photographer Andrew Marttila is more than a rising star in the cat lovers community with 125k+ followers on Instagram (@iamthegreatwent) :  he also is a committed entrepreneur who opened in 2015 A IS FOR ANIMALS a “company built on ethical principals and eco-consciousness” “with the mission of raising funds and awareness to help and protect a wide range of animals, both wild and domestic.” A great way to combine cat aesthetics, social media and responsible BUSINESS.

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#cats rule on Instagram

There are more than 30,7 million #cat pics on Instagram , 4 million more than #dogs (Last updated April 18)