"Cats, Flowers, and AI"

In recent years, the relationship between cats and humans has undergone a major update, ushering in a new era.

This series, "Neko Lab Tokyo News," features rotating appearances by members of "Neko Lab Tokyo" (hereafter Neko Lab), a cat-specialized innovation team launched within Dentsu Inc.'s creative R&D organization, "Dentsu Lab Tokyo." We deliver the latest cat-related projects and unique research and development that combine technology and ideas.

In this second installment, we introduce an example where researcher Nakano Kana and creative technologist Yusaku Wakazono are experimenting with using technology to solve "a certain problem" encountered when living with cats.

<Table of Contents>

▼After getting a cat, I can no longer display tulips

▼What if there was an AI you could casually ask, "How about this flower?"

▼We prototyped an app for people who love both cats and flowers

▼A future where proposal-based AI upgrades life with cats

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After getting a cat, I can no longer display tulips

Nakano: Nekobako launched on August 8th, World Cat Day, but do you know what day August 7th is?

Wakazono: 8 and 7... Flower Day?

Nakano: Correct! Flower Day and Cat Day are right next to each other on the calendar, but ever since my cat came home, I haven't been able to display flowers or plants anymore.

Wakazono: I don't really have flowers or plants, so I'm not sure, but is it because cats mess with them?

Nakano: That too, but apparently there are quite a few plants that are toxic. Since it was my first time owning a cat, after we decided to get one, I bought several introductory books on care and behavior and read them.

I had researched cats while planning necomimi(※1), but once I decided to actually live with one, how I read the materials changed. "Lily family plants" jumped out at me as a "life-threatening no-go item" – something I hadn't paid attention to before – and it was a huge shock.

※1 necomimi=A device worn on the head that measures brainwaves and expresses the wearer's concentration or relaxation state through the movement of "cat ears." The second generation is currently available from Bio Search (formerly NeuroSky). https://dentsulab.tokyo/works/necomimi

Wakazono: Ah, yes, there are definitely many plant-related no-gos. I've even seen websites stating that water in vases containing lilies is dangerous.

Nakano: Exactly. When she arrived, she turned out to be a very active, curious type of cat, so I worried she might knock them over and stopped buying flowers altogether. Since lilies are problematic, that meant hyacinths, tulips... Decorating with flowers was an annual springtime pleasure, so it felt especially lonely during the pandemic when we were spending so much time indoors. You could say the cat filled that void. Is the cat at Wakazono-san's house a mischievous type?

Wakazono: Yes, very much so. The cat I live with now is two years old, and she's become more and more mischievous as she's grown. She knocks things over to get our attention, or chews on all sorts of things, maybe because her teeth are itchy.

We never had the habit of displaying flowers at home, but after getting a cat, I felt even more that flowers and plants just weren't for us. Balancing life with a cat and life with flowers felt like a high hurdle, both emotionally and in terms of information.

If only there was an AI I could casually ask, "How about this flower?"

Nakano: Even if you try asking at a flower shop whether something is safe for a cat-friendly home, the staff might not know unless they have a cat themselves. I couldn't stand not having plants at home anymore, so I searched and found a shop called Midoridomei on an e-commerce site. They have a category labeled "Safe for Dogs and Cats." I mustered up the courage and went to their physical store to buy a houseplant.

When I consulted the owner, Mr. Yasushi Yoshikawa, he recommended some potted plants, saying, "While it's not guaranteed for every cat, these are said to be safe." I bought some, and my home felt a bit brighter. Recently, e-commerce sites offering subscription services that deliver cat-safe bouquets have also appeared.

Wakazono: That was incredibly lucky! Getting that kind of information and recommendations in person at a store, and being able to make a purchase with confidence, is truly a valuable experience. Many people probably struggle to find reliable information or can't tell if the information they find is trustworthy.

For example, Nakano-san recently told me about the ASPCA website listing plants toxic and non-toxic to cats, but I imagine only a limited number of people can readily utilize that information right away (※2).

※2 ASPCA's List of Plants Toxic and Non-Toxic to Cats&nbsp; https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/cats-plant-list

Nakano: That's right. While the ASPCA list is cited as a reliable reference in various media, I felt it would be difficult to look up on the spot because it's in English and the list is enormous. I thought, "Wouldn't it be great if there was an AI chatbot knowledgeable about cats and flowers, like , that you could ask 'What about this?'" That's why I consulted Wakazono-san, who knows a lot about AI.

We prototyped an app for people who love both cats and flowers

Wakazono: When I first heard about the idea, I thought, "Why not just use existing generative AI chatbots?" But from the perspective of "reliable information," we decided to try building something ourselves.

Generative AI can give incorrect advice, so we narrowed down reliable sources to minimize errors. Since we can't eliminate mistakes entirely, we designed the system and experience to encourage users to "make their own final judgment" and compensate for AI's weaknesses. We also prototyped an app type that avoids using generative AI, which can't guarantee zero errors, altogether.

Nakano: So there were two types: one that scans the text on plant name tags and compares it to the ASPCA list for identification, and another that sends photos to an AI chatbot to estimate the plant name, then compares that to the ASPCA list (※3). We thought, "We have to try this!" So we consulted with Akira Midou again and tried out prototype apps for both types.

Wakazono: Wow, field testing! How did it go?

Nakano: It was fun, like a treasure hunt. Shop owner Mr. Yoshikawa also said, "An app like this would be handy." Regarding the weakness of the AI chatbot—mistaking visually similar plants—he advised, "A pro can tell them apart, so combining it with plant name search might work well." It would be great to feed back info from a pro's perspective to the AI so it can learn how to distinguish them.

※3 This product is a prototype and is not being developed in partnership with the ASPCA.
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Wakazono: Even if plant experts aren't cat experts, if AI can seamlessly fill that gap without much effort, it's a win for both the store and cat owners. Considering the growing number of households with cats, it's crucial not to miss out on this customer segment. We're looking for florists nationwide to join us in developing this for all the troubled cat & flower lovers out there!

Nakano: That's right. I heard they created the "Safe for Pets" category on their e-commerce site because of frequent inquiries. Apparently, they received many consultations specifically from cat owners.

Wakazono: Cats do tend to play with plants or jump up onto high places, after all.

Nakano: Apparently, some people bring their dogs shopping too, but dogs often show little interest in plants. Plants like Everfresh, with their fine leaves, sway in the air conditioning, making them especially tempting to play with. But cats seem to learn too—they sometimes lose interest as they get older (laughs).

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A Future Where Proposal-Based AI Updates Life with Cats
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Nakano: I was also thinking about solutions for plants that aren't suitable. For example, when I want to decorate with tulips in spring, it would be great if there was a system that suggested similar flowers. It would be nice to get suggestions that consider the season and say, "This might be good."

Wakazono: That's right. It would be great if we could collaborate with stores to create recommendations based on popular flowers. With the right data, it seems feasible. It could also be useful for staff training or e-commerce sites.

Nakano: I'd love similar recommendations for cat food too. For example, a system that suggests blueberries—which are safe—instead of raisins, which are harmful to cats, would be reassuring. In the future, maybe a system could automatically detect if you have a cat when you enter a store and recommend avoiding dangerous foods.

Wakazono: That's interesting. For instance, cat hair on clothes could be detected via camera images. Imagine a meddlesome shopping cart suggesting, "Since you have a cat at home, maybe skip the mint essential oil?"

Nakano: In an interior shop, it could analyze videos of cats playing and suggest stand lamps less likely to be knocked over.

Wakazono: It seems applicable across many industries. While this is still very much at the "let's try it out" stage, it would be great to use technology wisely to create a future where living with cats is easier.

Illustration: Momoko Negishi (Neko Lab Tokyo)

Contact: neko-lab-tokyo@dentsu.co.jp&nbsp;

　　
Interview Cooperation

Yasushi Yoshikawa (Owner, Midoridomei)
Born in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. A plant designer who pursues "love at first sight" plant pots, where each plant shines as if it were the star. In January 2024, he opened Midoridomei, a specialty store for houseplants and pots in Jingumae, Shibuya Ward. In a space that stimulates the senses, he proposes green landscapes that bring healing and enjoyment to everyday life.