[acb-hsp] Cat Stroking

[peter altschul]

Cat Stroking, Not Facebook Poking, Satisfies Needs For Real 
Interaction
  BY Martin Lindstrom
  Forget poking on Facebook or IM-ING people, shaking a hand or 
putting an arm on someone else's shoulder is where social 
interaction really begins.  In Japan, this need for touch has 
extended to a focus on pets, including cafes for petting cats.  
Will emphasizing touch be a new trend in the U.S.?
  As I made my way up a narrow staircase in Tokyo, I wondered 
what on earth I was actually doing.  A few weeks earlier, a 
friend of a friend had mentioned cat cafes, a new phenomenon 
sweeping through Japan.  The cat cafe at the top of the stairs 
promised an unforgettable lunch, while simultaneously extending 
human life by years.  Although I'd hardly consider myself a cat 
person, I found the temptation of longevity irresistible.
  Japan has long been obsessed with pets.  It was here where you 
could first take your dog or cat for a pedicure or a spa.  
Shortly after, gift shops for pets sprung up, followed by 
restaurants dedicated to feeding your pet specially prepared 
delicacies.  The animals would be seated, whilst their human 
caregivers would be left outside.  No joke.  There are many a 
funeral home and cemetery for cats and dogs.  And now this: cat 
cafes.
  In the finest Japanese tradition, I was asked to perform one of 
those cleaning rituals that would put sanitary procedures at your 
average hospital to shame.  Once cleansed, I was led to the 
education room, where I was instructed on correct behavior.  Now 
enlightened, I was ushered into a large room with a cafe bar in 
the corner, and hundreds of cats.  They were curled up on the 
floor, reclining on armchairs and sofas and padding around the 
room.
  I was not alone.  Many people were there, their focus directed 
exclusively to one cat or another.  They held them on their laps, 
sat beside them, stroked, patted, and murmured sweet nothings in 
their ears.  All the while, the cats purred the deep purrs of 
creatures entirely satisfied with their lots in life.  After a 
cup of coffee and brief interactions with three separate cats, my 
time was up, and I could now say I'd had the full cat cafe 
experience.
  The more affluent, time-poor, and lonely a society becomes, the 
greater the need for pets.  Not too long ago, I was taken to a 
home for elderly Japanese people.  At first glance, I noticed 
people sitting quietly stroking their little dogs.  I was amused 
that the dogs all looked remarkably similar.  My amusement turned 
to astonishment when the staff explained that the pets were 
actually robots disguised as fluffy, white poodles.
  Japanese research has shown that the more time we spend 
touching pets, the longer we live.  So, with the help of a 
government grant, many such homes in Japan have invested in 
expensive robotic pets that breathe, snore, shrug, yelp, and 
indeed respond to their owner with sounds of recognition when 
they see them.
  Will this somewhat crazy, yet undeniably thought-provoking, 
trend be confined to Japan? Or will it find a place in the 
Western world? France is a possibility.  It's a nation that has 
always celebrated dogs.  I will never forget an incident that 
occurred at a 2-star Michelin restaurant in Paris.  There, at the 
table beside me, was a dog sitting on a chair, facing its owner.  
It ate from a fine china plate, and drank what looked like red 
wine from a bowl on the table.
  I suspect that the U.S.  might be next in line, simply because 
we're a nation increasingly deprived of meaningful physical 
interaction.  "That's ridiculous," you might say.  But think 
about it: Apart from the perfunctory handshake, when was the last 
time you touched another person? We touch our iPads and Pods, our 
fingers fly over our BlackBerrys and fold over our mouse, but as 
for touching humans, well, that's another story entirely.  It's 
not our way.
  If you've ever visited countries like Spain, Italy, and Turkey, 
you'll soon notice boys, men, and even the elderly, touch hands 
with one another as they saunter along the street.  At 
presentations I've conducted in Thailand and the Philippines, 
it's quite common for businessmen to drape an arm over the 
shoulder of the man beside them.  I'm talking a normal working 
situation, not an Asian version of a gay Mardi Gras.
  We, on the other hand, like to touch before we buy.  We test an 
avocado's ripeness by giving it a gentle squeeze, and finger the 
texture of the fabric before we try on an outfit.  But when it 
comes to touching one another, we tend to shy away.
  Which brings me back to the U.S.  During the course of my 
workshops I have a tendency to gently rest a hand on someone's 
shoulders when addressing them directly.  They often come to me 
at the close of the day to express their satisfaction.  They say, 
"I'll never forget your presentation.  It felt like we 
established a really clear understanding of one another." I 
explain that touch helps facilitate this, and then ask why they 
don't initiate similar physical connections.  Their answers 
rarely surprise me as they talk of their fear of what others may 
think.  They don't want to offend anyone and are afraid of 
breaking unspoken codes of behavior.  Some go so far as to 
express their fear of a potential lawsuit.
  As we well know, animals cannot sue.  You also never look 
stupid or inappropriate petting a dog or a cat.  So, when we do, 
it satisfies our basic need for touch.  It wakens us to life and 
living beings and can conjure up warm memories of deep connection 
with our childhood pets.
  Here's my prediction: as our social lives migrate online, so 
our need for touch offline will become more apparent.  We have 
two choices--we can either normalize touching one another in the 
same way Italian, Brazilian, Thai, and Spanish people have been 
doing for hundreds of years, or another commercial industry will 
find itself in our lives.  Make no mistake, the need for touch is 
hardwired into our being and if we don't get our share, there'll 
be an influx of pet cafes, pet gift shops, pet outfitters, and 
pet podiatrists.  On the one hand, it's adorable, fascinating, 
and appealing.  On the other, it's the expression of a desperate 
human need for touch and connection in our increasingly 
disconnected lives.
  Brandwashed Martin Lindstrom is a 2009 recipient of TIME 
Magazine's "World's 100 Most Influential People" and author of
  Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy
  (Doubleday, New York), a New York Times and Wall Street Journal 
best--seller.  His latest book, Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use 
to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy was published in 
September.  A frequent advisor to heads of numerous Fortune 100 
companies, Lindstrom has also authored 5 best-sellers translated 
into 30 languages.
  Copyright B) 2011 Mansueto Ventures LLC.  All rights reserved.