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You’ll definitely want to give these paw-shaped fish cakes a squish before you bite into them!

Besides their pointy ears, cute whiskers, and fluffy stomachs, arguably those soft, squishy pads on kitty’s paws are one of the hardest areas cat lovers have trouble keeping their hands off of. If your kitty is one to play nice, he or she may allow you to get in a good squeeze or two, but with less touchy-feely types, you risk coming away with some claw or bite marks for intruding on his or her personal space.

Thanks to the release of these limited edition Nyankama fish cakes, however, you don’t need to risk injury to get the same sensation. It’s the latest take on Japan’s long kamaboko fish cake history, which goes all the way back to the 14th century.

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At just 400 yen (US$3.99) for a box of five paw-shaped fish cakes, you can tickle your feline fancy without putting much of a dent into your wallet, and that alone was enough to convince us to take some home to try out.

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Not only does it pass the cuteness test, but the taste one as well! Each one is filled with a dab of cream cheese, and they seem to be made with less salt than the usual fish cakes sold at Japanese supermarkets.

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Had there been more inside the box, we easily could have put away at least ten of them! By the way, for those of you who don’t like cheese or are lactose intolerant, you can easily request your Nyankama without it when placing an order. You’ll find them for sale online here, or up for grabs at the Toyama satellite shop in Tokyo, Iki Iki Toyama-kan, from today until August 26.

Toyama Prefecture is famous for kamaboko fish cakes, and decorated versions of them are often used for weddings and other special occasions. It would only make sense then that Ikuji Kamaboko, one of Toyama’s most popular kamaboko makers, would be behind this adorable, edible creation.

While these Nyankama won’t exactly melt in your mouth, we can’t say the same when it comes to melting your heart.

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Shop Information
Name: Iki Iki Toyama-kan
Address: Tokyo, Chiyoda, Yurakucho, 2 Chome-10-1 Tokyo Koutsukaikan B1 F
100-0006 東京都千代田区有楽町2-10-1 東京交通会館B1 F
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Sundays, 10:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Website

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