[humanser] Cat Stroking, Not Facebook Poking, Satisfies Needs For RealInteraction

[Mary Ann Robinson]

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.