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Can cats cut the cost of power? Japanese delivery company with a cat-themed name investigates

Krista Rogers Sep 12, 2023
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Company conducts an experiment to see whether it can harness the power of the feline to save on monthly electricity costs and be more eco-friendly.

Yamato Transport is one of the top home delivery service companies in Japan. Known colloquially as Kuroneko (“Black Cat”) thanks to its logo of a black cat carrying a black kitten in its mouth over a yellow background, the brand is instantly recognizable–and uses its cat connection to its advantage whenever possible.

Most recently, in an experiment reminiscent of the second episode of the Pokémon anime when a group of Pikachu band together to generate electricity on a wheel, the company decided to test whether cats might be the key to cutting costs by generating power via a cat wheel equipped with a generator. The study was part of the company’s goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 48 percent by 2030 using a variety of strategies.

▼ Check out the full experiment in this video.

The focus of the experiment was a two-year-old male Bengal cat named Mufasa. In the span of 24 hours, from 12 p.m. to 12 p.m. on the following day, how much money’s worth of electricity would Mufasa be able to generate?

▼ Mufasa’s close-up

Things got off to a bit of a rocky start when the usually exercise-loving Mufasa showed minimal interest in his cat wheel, perhaps because of the addition of the generator. Throughout the day, his owner tried to lure him over to it with a variety of tactics such as a laser pointer and treat, but he still only ran at a slow pace in small doses.

▼ Mufasa acting like, well, a cat

In fact, rather than expending energy, he decided to recharge by taking a long catnap, much to his owner’s chagrin.

▼ Generating sweet dreams

Ultimately, Mufasa’s time on the cat wheel would cover only 0.3 yen (US$0.002) of a monthly electricity bill. To put things in perspective, a hamster taking part in a a parallel experiment throughout the same 24 hours generated 1 yen’s worth of electricity. Based on these results, the research team made one simple conclusion: “Maybe cats aren’t suited for the generation of electricity.”

▼ The hamster was also shown to be diligently exercising throughout the day and night.

Despite the disappointing results, Yamato Transport reaffirmed its commitment to being eco-conscious and exploring further ways that it might employ clean energy sources in its business. Perhaps it’s time for the company to try generating power using a parade of Pikachu in its next experiment.

Source: ITmedia Inc.
Featured image: Pakutaso
Insert images: YouTube/ヤマトグループ公式チャンネル
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