Japanese cat lover makes ‘feline shrine’ to present daily treats

By Vivian Hsiao, The China Post, Taiwan |
Social media users were skeptical of the shrine owner's ability in "granting wishes" as it seemed to be more interested in the the offerings. (Screengrab from @maihimemoco/Twitter)

TAIPEI (The China Post) — People owning cats often refer to themselves as slaves to their pets. There is, therefore, little wonder that a Japanese cat owner recently decided to take it one step further to become a “worshipper” of their feline friends.

According to a recent Twitter post, the Japanese woman shared a 30-second video clip of her presenting holy offerings to a “power spot” in her home to bring in good luck.

The “Mofu-Mofu Neko Jinja” (fluffy cat shrine), models itself after Japanese Shinto shrines and is made of sturdy cardboard so its interior can be used as a clawing post for kittens.

In the video, the woman placed some treats as offerings on the front step of a shrine, and almost immediately afterward, a white paw emerged to withdraw the offerings.

The “shrine owner” soon became viral on Twitter, and many commented that it seemed a bit too preoccupied with its offerings, but added that it could also be deemed very “responsive” to the offerings.

As visitors of shrines usually make wishes along with their presentations of offerings, many warned the owner that the “divinity” could be a bit more carefree with “granting wishes” than with securing offerings.