strayatsume

Hint: It isn’t her milkshake that’s bringing all the cats to the yard.

If you’re a fan of the popular mobile app Neko Atsume/Kitty Collector, you already know that the best strategy to (virtually) woo stray cats into your garden is to put out a variety of toys and treats, including boxes. But as Tatsunoshin Komejiru, a doujin (self-printed comic) artist on Twitter, was about to discover, this method apparently works just as well in real life.

▼ “Today’s weather was really nice, and when I walked into my room
I found this little fellow sound asleep. Isn’t he cute?
But who exactly are you!??!! (I don’t have a cat, btw.)”

▼ “I guess he came around as I was hanging out the covers on the bed and decided to make himself at home, but I don’t have the heart to shoo him off… Pets aren’t allowed in the apartment complex, but I guess it’s okay if he’s just a stray coming in to rest its paws and cat nap for a while?”

Little did she know that he’d be back again next week, and this time with a friend in tow.

▼ “I guess my veranda is part of the path these stray cats like to walk each day (but I don’t really want them to come inside) and to keep them off the bench I put this box down for them, which both they immediately climbed into. They squeezed in so tight it broke!”

Unfortunately for her, it seems like they misinterpreted her intentions (or ignored them, being cats after all), and took the box as a welcome sign to come inside and meet the Missus.

▼ “At some point this one snuck in again and I caught him kneading the blanket on the bed like he’d never seen anything so fluffy and soft before. Hey Mr. Kitty! You’ve got mud on your cute little paws from the rain! It’ll get on the covers! Mr. Kitty!! Just listen here now!! Ah… Too late!!”

▼ “Look at how cute he is. For a moment I considered adopting him into the family, but with bitter tears I finally had to send him on his way. Oh, and look who was also hiding under the desk…”

Just like in the game, it seems like there’s no better way to attract a couple of cats than a nice place for some good sits. Unable to hide her amusement, Tatsunoshin began to ponder how the cats would have reviewed their stay if cats had their own review site for staying in private homes like AirBnb.

▼ “★★★☆☆ It’s a decent place
By poster: 2 stray cats (Tortoiseshell and Calico)
We just dropped in one day and the owner didn’t get mad, so we recommend it for cats looking to cool down for a bit. But since there were no toys, nor did the owner feed us, we took off two stars.”

Either way, it looks like Tatsunoshin’s house meets all their basic feline needs, and they’ve continued to occasionally visit her veranda for the past month now.

▼ “@nyaco26 They still come over sometimes (^_^) Since I put the box out my veranda’s become a hotspot to take a rest, and they’ll line up and wait for a turn.”

We just hope they’re clean guests and don’t leave any “surprises” or “presents” for Tatsunoshin to find afterward.

Source: Twitter/@RiceNippon (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Feature/top image: Twitter/@RiceNippon