Every cat owner has a different story, but they often share the same challenge—keeping loose fur under control without turning grooming into a stressful routine.
This story comes from Monsieurtn, a content creator living with four indoor cats. After using the original PawSwing Neo for several months, he wondered whether a simple design change could make cats use a self-groomer more often.
Working together with PawSwing, he tested a one-of-a-kind prototype featuring two entrances over a 30-day period. The results offered valuable insights into how cats actually interact with a self-grooming station in a real multi-cat home.
The Story of Monsieurtn and PawSwing
This story comes from Monsieurtn, a cat enthusiast living with four indoor cats.
After using the original PawSwing Neo for several months, he wasn't trying to solve a major problem. The groomer had already become part of his daily routine, quietly collecting loose fur while his cats brushed themselves naturally.
But one question kept coming back.
What if the groomer had two entrances instead of one?
Would cats actually choose to use it more often?
Would that mean more loose hair could be collected over time?
Instead of leaving the question unanswered, MonsieurTN reached out to PawSwing with an idea.
To his surprise...
We decided to build it.
Not as a new product.
Not as a marketing campaign.
Just as a prototype designed to answer one simple question.
For the next 30 days, four cats would decide whether the idea actually worked.
Monsieurtn Shares His Genuine Insights
Why I Wanted to Try Something Different
I've been using the original PawSwing Neo for quite a while.
It already helped reduce loose fur around my apartment, and my cats were familiar with walking through it every day.
Honestly, I wasn't looking for a replacement.
I was simply curious.
Every time I watched one of my cats enter the groomer, turn around, and walk back out, I kept wondering:
Would they use it even more if they could simply walk straight through?
It sounded like a tiny design change.
But anyone who lives with multiple cats knows that small details often change how cats interact with shared spaces.
So I asked PawSwing whether they would ever consider building a version with two openings.
I never expected them to actually say yes.
Why PawSwing Was Willing to Build a Prototype
One thing I've always appreciated about PawSwing is that they don't treat user feedback as background noise.
Instead of saying,
"Maybe someday."
They wanted to see whether the idea actually had value.
So they built a completely new prototype based on a single question from one customer.
The new version kept the same tongue-inspired grooming bristles found in the original Neo.
The biggest differences were:
- Two entrances instead of one
- A noticeably larger body, because they replaced it with the PawSwing Neo Plus.
- The same passive self-grooming experience cats already knew.
No promises.
No claims.
Just a genuine experiment.
The Results
By the end of the month, the four cats had made 120 independent choices.
Nearly two out of every three visits went to the prototype.
That surprised me.
I expected the results to be close.
They weren't.
| Groomer | Total Choices |
|---|---|
| Original PawSwing Neo | 41 |
| Two-Entry Prototype (Neo Plus) | 79 |
Every Cat Told a Different Story
One thing became obvious during the experiment.
I wasn't testing one cat.
I was watching four completely different personalities.
Rosie
Rosie loved the larger prototype.
Sometimes there weren't even treats inside.
She simply climbed in and treated it like her own private bedroom.
Especially at night.
The extra space seemed to make it feel less like a tunnel and more like a safe retreat.
Ash
Ash wasn't interested in product design.
If there were treats involved, he would be happy.
Neither groomer worked for him.
Latte
Being a Bengal, Latte was impossible to predict.
After finishing one snack bowl, he'd immediately inspect the other groomer to see whether something better was waiting.
That's exactly why only first choices are counted.
Loki
Loki was much more cautious.
At first, he preferred the familiar single-entry version.
But over time, he slowly started choosing the prototype more often.
Eventually, walking through the two-entry groomer simply became part of his daily routine.
Did It Actually Collect More Fur?
After thirty days, there was only one thing left to check.
The fur.
When I emptied both grooming stations, the prototype clearly contained more loose hair.
Interestingly, I don't think that's because the brushes removed more hair during each pass.
Instead, I believe something much simpler happened.
The cats chose to use it more often.
More visits naturally meant more opportunities for loose fur to be removed.
In other words, the improvement wasn't about brushing harder.
It was about encouraging cats to participate more willingly.
What This Experiment Taught Me
After watching four cats interact with both designs every day, I don't think the original PawSwing Neo suddenly became a worse product.
For one or two cats, it still works exactly as intended.
But living with multiple cats is different.
Shared spaces become more complicated.
Cats like having options.
The larger body and second exit appeared to make the grooming station feel more inviting, especially for cats that prefer having an easy escape route.
That observation also aligns with feline environmental recommendations, which suggest that enclosed spaces in multi-cat homes should ideally provide more than one exit to help cats feel comfortable.
Was that the exact reason behind the results?
I can't say for certain.
But it certainly made the experiment worth doing.
About PawSwing
At PawSwing, we believe innovation doesn't begin in a laboratory. It begins with real cats, real homes, and real questions from pet owners.
Named in honor of Orange, PawSwing was founded with one mission: to create intelligent pet care solutions that strengthen the bond between pets and their families. As the world's first auto cat groomer, we continuously improve our products by listening to the people who use them every day.
At PawSwing, every new idea starts with a real question from real pet owners.
MonsieurTN's experiment wasn't designed to prove a marketing claim—it was designed to better understand how cats behave in everyday life.
That philosophy reflects everything we stand for.
As the World's First Auto Cat Groomer, we believe innovation should solve real problems, adapt to real pets, and grow through genuine user feedback.
Because every cat is different.
And every small improvement has the potential to make life easier for both pets and the people who love them.
