Animal entertainment has become a defined niche, as streaming platforms and apps now publish programs made for household pets, according to reporting in The New York Times.
In one household example, a cat named Goose watches a video from the YouTube channel TV BINI that lasts over an hour and uses recordings of birdsong, the paper reported.
Platforms offer a range of options, including videos of squeaky toys, squirrels, animated fish and feathered balls, plus extended recordings such as hours of British birds and long compilations of puppies playing, the reporting said.
Roku users can download apps like Happy Dog TV and Relax My Cat, the article noted, and DOGTV employs cinematographers to shoot original canine content in more than 20 countries, Ron Levi said, identified as the company’s founder and chief content officer.
Writers linked this media trend to both the rising status of pets as family members and to an entertainment landscape that fragments audiences into narrow niches, the reporting added.
New York Retail Sale Ban And Reactions
New York’s governor signed legislation that bans the retail sale of dogs, cats and rabbits at pet stores, the reporting said, aiming to address what officials described as a "puppy-mill-to-pet-store pipeline."
The governor’s office said the law seeks to prevent animal abuse by breeders, and the measure will not take effect until next year, the coverage noted.
The law allows pet stores to charge shelters rent to use store space for adoption events, and it encourages stores to partner with shelters and rescues to connect animals with homes, the reporting added.
Gov. Kathy Hochul was quoted saying, "Dogs, cats and rabbits across New York deserve loving homes and humane treatment," and a state senator, Michael Gianaris, called the move a "great day for our four-legged friends" and a step against abusive puppy mills.
Assembly member Linda B. Rosenthal expressed hope that New York’s action will inspire similar steps elsewhere, the article reported.
The Associated Press noted the law does not apply to at-home breeders who sell animals born and raised on their property, and AP also recorded pet shop objections that the law may not curb out-of-state breeders or improve breeder standards, and could lead to dozens of store closures.
The reporting added that California enacted a similar law earlier, and that four other states also ban such retail sales, the coverage noted.
