Bark Versus Byte

The latest Japanese craze for virtual pets has at least one pack of American animal lovers yowling.

“You can’t replace warm and fuzzy with an electronic toy,” sniffed Funda Alp of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Assn., which represents the $23-billion industry that caters to the nation’s pooches and kitties.

The association’s stance was announced Tuesday after two Japanese toy manufacturers--Sony Corp. and Sega Toys--revealed they are about to unleash a new breed of pets in the U.S.: robot dogs.

Sony’s marvel is a trainable mutt named AIBO (loosely translates to pet in Japanese) that “adds a richness to people’s lives that only a good companion can bring,” according to the company’s Web site. The trendy toy, which disappeared faster than a jack rabbit in limited issues last year, will go on sale again Feb. 15-25 at $2,500 a pup.

In May, Tiger Electronics is slated to introduce Sega’s Poo-Chi, the Interactive Puppy that “is so lifelike, he needs love,” the company says. Scheduled to retail for less than $30, Poo-Chi uses biorhythm technology “to create realistic emotional responses that adapt and change as you play with him.”

Even a cat named Tama is lurking behind the curtains of Japanese robotics scientists.

But the pet-products association says the megabyte menagerie doesn’t even come close to the real thing.

“You’re not going to get the love and affection that you get from a real dog,” Alp said. “There is so much technology in our lives today that we need our pets to love us unconditionally, to soften our day and take the edge off.”

The robotics breeders point out that their pets can do all the cute things that doggies do without messing up the carpets or chewing slippers.

Alp countered that “electronic gadgets have problems of their own. The batteries die. Suppose there’s an electrical storm and the pet experiences a surge. What would happen to poor little poochie then?”

Besides, she added, who wants to cuddle up at night--as do the owners of 38% of the pampered pets in America--with a thing that has a metal coat and flashes red or green eyes?

“Nope, we don’t expect virtual pets to replace man’s best friend any time real soon,” Alp predicted.

Robotics promoters quickly agreed.

“AIBO is not at all intended to replace live animals,” said Grace Ann Arnold, spokeswoman for Sony Electronics. “It is technologically designed primarily for entertainment purposes. You can train it and teach it. It does have emotions and instincts built in. But it is not intended to replace animals.”

“We’re keeping in perspective that it’s a child’s toy,” said Rachel Johnson, spokeswoman for Tiger Electronics. “It’s fun and exciting and a whole new level of interactive play. But it’s not our goal to replace household pets.”

Real dogs, who regard humans as friends, expressed relief. Real cats, who regard us as staff, prefer not to be bothered and wish we would get back to work.