Tokyo heatwave inspires creation of wearable fans to help dogs and cats stay cool

A Tokyo clothing manufacturer has joined forces with veterinarians to create a wearable fan to help pets beat the heat.

Maternity clothing brand Sweet Mommy has created an 85-gram battery-operated fan for dogs and cats to wear.

The fan attaches to a mesh outfit and blows air around their bodies.

Clothing brand president Rei Uzawa said the fans were designed for dogs and cats that could not shed their fur coats in Japan’s blistering summer weather.

Tokyo recorded its longest heatwave on record in June, with temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius for nine days.

Ms Uzawa said seeing her pet Chihuahua exhausted by the summer heat had motivated the invention.

“There was almost no rainy season this year, so the hot days came early, and in that sense, I think we developed a product that is right for the market,” she said.

Ms Uzawa said since the fans were released in July she had received about 100 orders.

She said the fans were available in five different sizes and sold for 9,900 yen ($107).

Mami Kumamoto, who has a miniature poodle named Pudding and a terrier named Maco, said she usually used dry ice packs to keep her dogs cool.

She said she believed the fans would make it easier to walk her dogs in the summer heat.

Reuters