Toy maker Takara Co. on Friday launched what it claims to be a "cat translator," the latest in a series of gadgets aimed at aiding human-animal communications.

Meowlingual can analyze sounds made by 14 breeds of cat and convert them into Japanese, the firm asserted.

Released across Japan, the machine basically features the same functions as those of Bowlingual, a "dog translator" Takara launched in September 2002. Its suggested retail price of 8,800 yen, however, is well below Bowlingual's 14,800 yen price tag.

The palm-size meow analyzer features a built-in microphone and liquid crystal display, while Bowlingual constitutes an LCD unit and a separate microphone that can be attached to a dog collar.

A Takara spokeswoman said the company decided to make Meowlingual an all-in-one device because cats often dislike wearing collars. Users thus have to get close to their cats to decipher their utterings.

She said the development of Meowlingual, conducted in collaboration with the Japan Acoustic Laboratory and veterinarians, was a tougher proposition than developing Bowlingual.

"Dogs are straightforward and express their emotions quite often. But cats, you never know when they will meow," she said.