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CNN Live At Daybreak
Exploring Pet Technology
Aired June 08, 2001 - 08:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We love our cats and dogs and other pets, too, so much so that we are going to spend -- believe it or not, Americans spend three -- 30 -- actually $30 billion on our pets. It kind of gives you pause -- pause for thought.
(LAUGHTER)
LIN: Certainly your budget.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, CNN's science correspondent Ann Kellan is here to tell us about some hot new technology, actually, from the annual Pet Products Trade Show in San Francisco. It's targeted at your canine or your feline friends.
ANN KELLAN, CNN SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT: All the products -- you can't believe all of the different products and all of the things we do to -- that we spend on our dogs and cats and birds and fish. And, you know, there's so many pets out there. We have a survey question, but we also have a lot of technology to show you, including this little door here, which is programmed so you can leave the house during day.
And it will -- your pet can wear this little magnet on the collar. And Baron von Munchausen is here. He's my dog.
(LAUGHTER)
KELLAN: And he's going to...
(CROSSTALK)
KELLAN: Yes. And he would wear this. And if he comes close to the door, it would unlock the door. Now, is it working here? I don't hear it working. Let's see.
LIN: See, now, this is interesting, because you always hear about these -- whether these tech toys are going to work.
KELLAN: Right. Well...
LIN: Because what if he needs to get out?
KELLAN: Right.
MCEDWARDS: Yes, but listen to that.
KELLAN: Yes. It will -- and then you go away and it locks. You go forward. And we have video to show a dog actually going through because he hasn't learned how to do it yet. You have to train them how to do that. But, look, it will walk. Now, the main point of this is to keep varmints out of the house -- you know, other animals who you don't want to come in.
MCEDWARDS: Right.
KELLAN: Right? So this is being -- this is new this year. And this would probably cost -- I think this is $199. And then it would be attached. And you could put a cover over this if you go away on a long trip to keep it secure. So you can lock it up.
We also have -- you know, people -- they said, like, 32 percent of people don't work late. They'll go home early or on time from work...
LIN: Right.
KELLAN: ... because they don't want to -- they have to go home and feed their pet. They're afraid and they have to feed their pet.
MCEDWARDS: Oh, you're kidding. Oh, geez.
KELLAN: So this is going to help solve this problem. This is a pet feeder. And, again, we have a video of this. But what you can do is program this for the timing, the settings.
And then it will automatically deliver some food for your pet, depending on how much. But it, hopefully, will give him more than that. But it will -- now you can see it in the video there. What it does, it will sound a noise that will let the dog know that he is about to be fed for the day. And you can do one or two times a day if you are going to be late.
LIN: And dogs probably get quite used to that.
KELLAN: Yes, they hear that little -- there's little sound that goes off with the alarm. And it will be a...
(CROSSTALK)
LIN: They make that connection.
KELLAN: Right. And the dog gets to eat.
Now, this is one -- I'm not sure about this one. Here -- what we do is -- here, you can -- this is a ball.
MCEDWARDS: He's so sweet. He knows who his mom is here.
KELLAN: I know. Baron, hang out with me. You record -- press this button and just say something in here.
LIN: Baron, come. Baron?
(CROSSTALK)
KELLAN: Let's try -- we have another dog for this one, because I don't think Baron's going to do this. Let's try Pookie (ph).
LIN: OK. Pookie, come. Pookie, Pookie?
KELLAN: All right, Pookie, let's see if this works. Now, you're supposed to roll this on the floor. Let's see if we can get this to happen. Let me get my big lab here.
And what you do is, you fill it with treats. You know what? I have a prepared one with some treats in here. But I don't know if he knows -- Pook -- oh, he's eating.
(CROSSTALK)
Here, Pook. Here. Do you want to get the ball? No, he's going to be busy eating. But, anyway, what this does is you roll it on the floor -- I don't know if you're going to be able to hear it -- here.
COMPUTER VOICE: Get the ball. Come on. Come one. Go on.
KELLAN: Do you hear that? Go get it. Go get it, bud. Go get the ball.
He's like: Oh, there's a treat that comes out.
See the treat comes out and it's supposed to get them to get it.
MCEDWARDS: I don't know -- the old baseball is looking pretty good right now.
KELLAN: I know, it's really like -- I've been trying to get him to do this. But this is like a $20 item. And the owner -- the guy who created this says, "Dogs just love it." But, you know, dogs on television, they never do what they're supposed to do.
(LAUGHTER)
KELLAN: And we have a whole line of wardrobe out. It's unbelievable. And I talked to the people who make the clothes.
Oh, look who we have here.
LIN: Yes, still he's is a little astonished about getting batted in the face with a doggie tail.
MCEDWARDS: Yeah, Carol's cat is Billie (ph).
LIN: Yeah, Billie Hoge Robinson (ph) joining us this morning.
KELLAN: And we have various clothes for animals. And I have this little coat here. We have a matching coat.
(CROSSTALK)
LIN: ... like Baron.
KELLAN: And...
(CROSSTALK)
KELLAN: Oh, that's -- OK, why don't you show us, for the cats -- what we have for the cats, Carol.
LIN: All right.
(CROSSTALK)
LIN: Because you showed me this morning.
KELLAN: Right.
LIN: Kitty health is very important. Apparently, dental health is of some concern...
KELLAN: Exactly.
LIN: ... because cats can lose their teeth...
KELLAN: Right.
LIN: ... if you don't brush their teeth.
KELLAN: And so we have these toothbrushes.
LIN: There's this toothbrush that's supposed to come with this flavoring on it. And it's supposed to be chicken.
KELLAN: Right.
LIN: So, Billie, sweetie, OK, let's open our mouths and see if -- now, the smell is supposed to get them to open their mouths, right?
KELLAN: Right.
LIN: Billie? Come on, baby.
KELLAN: See, this works for dogs and cats. So it's -- I can't imagine a cat would open its mouth...
LIN: Well...
KELLAN: ... to let you brush its teeth. He's licking a little bit.
LIN: He's licking it a little bit.
MCEDWARDS: I don't know, I don't know.
KELLAN: But think about all of the different products... MCEDWARDS: Yes.
KELLAN: And how they relate it to human products as well, because we were talking about the clothes. They have matching vests. They have a slicker here. Coach has gotten into the act. And they have matching vest and a coat.
LIN: You know, I don't think it's possible to brush a cat's teeth.
(LAUGHTER)
LIN: And I'm not sure it's necessary either.
KELLAN: Well, they say they're supposed to keep their teeth clean. But, you know, there's other things that -- other products on the market that might be a little easier for you to use.
LIN: Easier to use.
(CROSSTALK)
MCEDWARDS: But people love their pets. And it's a huge industry.
KELLAN: Twenty-eight point four billion dollars a year.
MCEDWARDS: Wow.
KELLAN: And we, as you can see, buy a lot of different things.
LIN: Yes.
KELLAN: A wide range: from practical to impractical to crazy to...
MCEDWARDS: Fun.
LIN: Well, Billie Hoge Robinson, you're going to stay low tech, OK?
MCEDWARDS: All right.
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