As any cat owner will testify, moggies are capable of making humans wither under their judgemental glare. Now, money management startup Anna is tapping into man's deep fear of his feline overlord with a debit card that miaows every time it is used.
Anna, a hybrid digital assistant for SMEs, that combines an app, card and business account, is rolling out the gimmick after consulting "animal psychologist" Ellena Hinson.
With 90% of small business failures attributed to cash flow problems, Anna claims that a sharp miaow emanating from its app everytime a payment is made could make users think more carefully about their spending.
Hinson goes so far as to suggest small biz owners look to cats for tips on managing their finances. "Miaowing is the perfect form of communication - it’s short, sharp but not intrusive, and alerts us to a cat’s needs immediately. Less jarring than a dog’s bark, but loud and direct enough to do the job, a miaow is the perfect sound for business owners looking to emulate a cat’s communication skills."
Clearly itself untroubled by cash flow concerns, Anna has roped in BBC Three comedian Luke McQueen for a spoof 'making of' video of the process - documenting how the perfect miaow was found and revealing some other card "innovations" that were considered, before inexplicably being ditched for cat noises.
(Ed: A catastrophic decision to run this, or a purrfect Friday story?)