Russian marketplace users have declared war on anti-meow electronic collars — the device shocks a cat when it meows. According to the sellers, the collar makes the animals "calm and smart." Felinologists in a conversation with explain that such devices are inhumane and unsafe: they can even lead to the death of an animal. And the dog handler explained why the electronic collar is not suitable for most dog breeders.

"Remind the cat not to disturb others"

Several Russian Internet sites - Ozon, Wildberries and Yandex.Market - began selling anti-meow collars - they are remotely they shock animals when they "interfere with the owners with loud sounds." Such wording is also present in the product description: according to the stores, the device will be the solution to the “problem” when the cat “meows annoyingly for no reason” (“behaves badly”) and “interferestful sleep and rest” of the owner. The life of such owners should become "more pleasant" without "uninvited meow".

The sellers in the description insist that the collars are safe and humane.

“The device automatically detects the specific frequency of the pet's meow through a sensitive microphone thanks to a special processor. When the cat meows, the collar automatically activates sound, vibration and static effects so that the cat does not continue to meow.

At first, it will emit a warning sound, but if the pet continues to behave badly, then vibration and static effects will be used to remind the cat that it is not necessary to disturb others with your meow, ”the product description says.

The customer reviews of the "anti-meow" that I studied are mixed. Some of the customers complain that the device has incomprehensible control mechanics and the collar works only in half of the cases, and also rubs the animal's neck.

Others report that the cat, with regular use of the collar, gets used to the current - and after a few charges it stops responding. But there are also satisfied owners of collars with electric shock.

“The cat has calmed down, silence in the house,” one of the customers writes with smiling emojis.

Some write that this function is not used - they use only vibration and a sound signal, considering the electric charge in an inhumane way.

Social media users, having discovered such a device for sale, subjected it to sharp criticism.

In their publications, they note that the device is an unsafe, inhuman and barbaric way to train an animal.

The owners themselves, who are ready to apply electric shocks to their cats, are also outraged, although meowing is a natural reaction of the animal to the world around it and the way it communicates.

As a result, comments began to appear on marketplaces demanding that anti-meow collars be removed from sale.

Marketplaces began to react - at first with restraint. A message from a Twitter user in Yandex.Market was answered that “the products do not violate Russian law” (the same answer followed from Ozon) and, as the store assures, “passes veterinary control.”

Later, when the influx of messages continued, Yandex.Market and Ozon announced in their responses to users that the collars would still be removed from sale. Moreover, as Yandex.Market said, after a discussion with the seller, it turned out that “anti-meows” can really cause harm and discomfort to an animal, but there are no violations within the framework of the law. At the moment, the only reaction that has not followed is from Wildberries.

, having studied the range of marketplaces, found that

Most of the collars have been removed from Ozon and completely removed from sale on Yandex.Market.

On Wildberries at the time of publication of the material, one “soothing” collar is listed for sale, as well as on the Chinese marketplace AliExpress.

“Contradicts her nature”

It is also curious that only marketplaces sell anti-meow collars on the Russian market. So, in the assortment of large chains of pet stores, I did not find a single such device. When asked by the publication about whether they received proposals for the implementation of "anti-meow", the companies could not provide a prompt response.

Russian zoo specialists also say that such collars for cats are a relatively new device on the market: for the experts contacted by the editors, the very fact of the existence of such devices for cats in Russia came as a big surprise. As well as claims that these collars pass veterinary control - and are supposedly safe.

According to animal psychologist and felinologist Yulia Malkova, electronic collars for raising cats are a senseless mockery of animals. "Is a mockery. Even for a dog, such elements of upbringing are quite stressful - this is a huge stress when an irritant (that is, a current) affects the animal at a time when it does not expect it. Moreover, the cat will not even understand such methods of education, since it accepts only individual and loyal training, ”says Malkova.

This is confirmed by the felinologist-veterinarian Angelina Sirotina. A cat, unlike a dog, is very difficult to train. She cited circus and theater cats as an example - according to the expert, all the tricks they perform are based on habits, movements and games - in other words, they perform only those elements that they use in life, and train them to do something new and unnatural will not work.

“A number of cats have some peculiarities, the behavior is quite funny - this is where all the tricks are put. And this does not mean that if we observe some tricks in the circus, that the cat does this after training. Cats work only for encouragement and if she likes it herself, ”the expert noted.

The meowing that anti-meow collar buyers try to wean their pets from is a completely natural process and attempts to counteract this are contrary to the nature of the animal, since they communicate in this way. And it is inappropriate to talk about some kind of “excessive” meowing in this context.

“If you don’t want to listen to meowing, take breeds that are less talkative. Such collars are the same as cutting the vocal cords in dogs. It would be better [those who use such methods] instead of an animal to just buy a soft toy - it does not bark and does not ask for food, ”says Malkova.

Among the "talkative" cats, the zoopsychologist noted the oriental breed of cats, as well as all the eastern groups of breeds. “When they bring for examination, for example, an oriental cat that does not speak, then for us this is nonsense. Oriental breeds - they are all quite talkative, ”Malkova emphasized.

There are less talkative breeds: Scots, British, phlegmatic Persians - from them you will hear "meow" in rare cases. In any case, current discharges or vibration are a dangerous process with irreversible consequences for any cat, the zoopsychologist notes. This is explained by the fact that cats are emotional creatures that do not tolerate any changes in their lives.

From this stress [electrical current] they can behave inappropriately. Urolithiasis may also begin, kidney failure, epilepsy, and cystitis may develop.

A cat can even die from a heart attack,” Sirotina explained.

“To deprive a cat of the opportunity to meow is contrary to its essence. Under no circumstances should you do this. A cat doesn't meow when idle. If she starts to do this, she complains, tells something or asks. If you put on such a thing that the animal will simply scare, it will not end well. Stress for a cat is very serious and triggers pathological mechanisms and processes in its psychology and physiology,” the veterinarian concluded.

Not a universal button

An ordinary person's understanding of the work of professional tools for shaping behavior is far from reality. Any formation of behavior is a complex set of consistent and systematic actions over a long period of time, and the layman, looking for an easy way to solve the problem, goes to extremes, says about the appearance of electronic collars for sale, the cynologist and head of the Orlov School canine center Vitaly Orlov .

“Some see fascists everywhere who are shocked; others are looking for a convenient gadget with a set of buttons that will replace them with a complex multi-position educational process. But it doesn't work that way. The formation of behavior in a four-legged pupil is, on average, two years of consistent and systematic selection of behavior and its isolation. Neither a gadget, nor a treat, nor hugs alone will give a result outside the huge amount of knowledge and skills of the owner of the animal itself, ”the dog handler explained.

An electronic collar is not a universal button for all problems. This is a complex and effective tool, but only in the hands of a competent specialist during training. Instead of getting a fundamental education, the modern pet owner is looking for a life hack or a gadget, but in the end he gets only the illusion of a result and the illusion of a relationship with his pupil.

“Then the gadget becomes a scapegoat, and the “cruelty and inhumanity” of electronic collars is glorified on the Internet. Although the collar itself can be very useful in working with behavior, if you know how to use it in a balanced approach, ”said Orlov.

Moreover, the cynologist assures, the use of electronic collars is appropriate only in the case of dogs and only by a competent professional, but by no means the owner of the animal. Working with a cat, in turn, requires much more skill than with a dog - it requires a very deep level of understanding of the material.

“Just buying a collar and putting it on a cat is crazy. This will not improve the behavior of the pet, but will lead to the opposite result. Cats are such complex and delicately organized animals that working with them requires not only a huge amount of knowledge, but also a very sensitive feeling of feedback from this particular animal at each individual stage of this complex work. This is not even about humanity or cruelty, but about self-respect - or the lack of this respect, ”concluded the expert.

Where did the “anti-meow” come from

Most Russian sellers who place electronic collars for cats on marketplaces indicate China as a manufacturer, without specifying the company.

Nevertheless, all “anti-meows” have one model - PaiPaitek PC558. In the photographs, the collar is attached to stock frames with cats using graphic editors.

According to open sources, the collars are produced by the Chinese organization Shenzhen PaiPai Technology (or simply PaiPaitek) from the city of Shenzhen, and the building of the technology park in Longhua is indicated as the working address. The company is engaged in products for pets.

The link to the PaiPaitek website provided in the contacts does not work. However, the company does have a profile page on the Alibaba marketplace site that provides a confirmation of the PaiPaitek license and other documentation about the PC558 model.

However, it is impossible to view its contents: the text of documents in low resolution is "blurred" and appears as a floating line, which makes it impossible to open them.

tried to send a request to the company's press service to provide documents confirming the veterinary control of collars, a patent and a license, but the email address turned out to be invalid. There was no feedback from the representatives of the company on the messages of the editorial staff on social networks.

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