Japanese owners indulge aging cats and dogs

TOKYO — Andy has sprouted white whiskers, suffers from lower back pain and no longer bounds up the stairs like he used to.

Still, the 11-year-old Siberian husky isn't lying idle: every week he meets his personal trainer for a run on an underwater treadmill, does laps in a doggy pool to strengthen his hind legs and unwinds with a hot spa and massage session.

The boom in pet ownership in Japan has led to a new phenomenon: legions of elderly animals that doting masters pamper with fortified food and vitamins, aromatherapy and even acupuncture.

"I want to do everything I can for Andy. He's part of the family," said Aya Ashiya, 50, of Tokyo as she ran around the swimming pool with a squeeze toy, cheering the husky on during a recent session at the dog aqua fitness gym El Pero.

Though figures are scarce, a study published last year showed that longevity for cats in Japan almost doubled between 1991 and 2003, from 5.1 years to 9.9 years. Dog longevity surged from 8.6 years to 11.9 years.

But longer lives have led to ailments seldom seen before in pets in Japan, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and dementia.

Japan's doting owners have helped push pet spending to new highs. The pet industry here topped $8.6 billion in 2005. That's only a quarter of expenditures in the United States, but for Japan it represents a 40 percent increase since 1994.

In a sign of the nation's growing obsession with animal companions, industry figures show Japanese families now own more than 23 million pet dogs and cats, exceeding the number of Japanese children under 15, which hit a new low of 17.46 million in 2006.

Kyuta, an 8-year-old long-haired Chihuahua, started biweekly acupuncture sessions at the Kamakura Genki Animal Hospital after severe back pain struck last year.

At a recent session, the dog yelped as a veterinarian inserted 13 needles into his quivering back and hind legs but soon settled down in his owner's arms.

"Kyuta loves coming here. His tail goes right up when he gets on the examination table," said Emi Matsuya, 43, a Tokyo hairdresser.

The pair travel two hours each way by train for the acupuncture sessions, which cost $47, Matsuya said, and the Chihuahua eats homemade meals of meat and vegetables now that he is getting older.

"Dogs crave attention — that's what makes them happy. And happy dogs live longer," said hospital director Takashi Ishino, who also offers massage and aromatherapy treatments.

Japan's aging dogs also benefit from specially designed care items such as doggie diapers, harnesses that support aging pooches on walks and pet strollers. Elderly cats have their own products, including climbing towers with extra padding.

And owners can take a break from their pets by getting a nursing-care specialist. Keiko Himi, who runs the pet-sitting service "Nyan to Wonderful" northeast of Tokyo, says an increasing number of owners ask her to care for aging pets while they run errands or work.

Death doesn't end the pampering. A spate of companies offers everything from pet cemeteries, funerals and memorials to counseling for grieving owners. Tokyo's Japan Pet Ceremony runs a 24-hour funeral hot line; the Machida Izumi Joen cemetery offers the ultimate in owner-pet companionship: a shared grave.