They say seeing is believing, but you’ll want to see it in motion before you decide what to believe.

We’ve always got time for a cute cat video (like the recent one of kitties being mesmerized by the process of rice-planting), and today’s comes from Miru (@bebebe5353 on Twitter), a feline fan living in Tokushima City, on Japan’s four-prefecture island of Shikoku. The star of the video is a silver tabby, who’s perched calmly on a climbing post inside Miru’s home.

As a matter of fact, the kitty is so stoic that it doesn’t move a muscle as Miru brings the camera in for a close-up, but there’s a reason for that…

…which is that this cat isn’t really a cat at all, but a felt figurine created by Miru!

The silver tabby stands roughly 35 centimeters (13.8 inches) tall, and is Miru’s latest life-size creation. The incredibly lifelike fur, posing, and facial expression become all the more impressive when you find out that while Miru has been interested in felt crafting since 2010, she’s never attended a single class or workshop, and instead developed all of her skills through self-study and independent practice.

▼ Even when it was still a work in progress, the silver tabby looked amazingly realistic.

Of course, an artist with this much talent has other works that will make jaws drop…

…and while cats seem to be her forte, Miru can work with canine inspirations as well.

The silver tabby is definitely her masterpiece so far, though, earning her online praise including:

“That silver tabby is totally alive.”
“This is the most realistic figure I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t tell it wasn’t a real cat until you touched it in the video.”
“Wait, it’s not a real cat? I had no idea until I read the video description.”
“It almost seems weirder that the figure doesn’t move.”
“The hardest part of making a realistic cat figure is the ears, but yours are so natural-looking!”

In addition to making pieces for her own enjoyment, Miru also does commissioned artwork. Inquiries can be made through her website here, and we imagine her customers are extremely satisfied, seeing as how she’s so talented that when you come across these photos from her Twitter account…

…it’s actually more surprising to find out that they’re a pair of snapshots of her living, breathing pet cat, and not just two more felt figures.

Sources: Twitter/@bebebe5353 via Otakomu, Miru official website
Featured image: Twitter/@bebebe5353
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