The grudge of food is scary... Aren't there too many things that are easily mistaken for "Churu" or cat food?

Living with cats, we sometimes feel their intense pressure. I feel especially bad when I unintentionally make them mistake human food for their treats or cat food. My cats have misunderstood me several times, and I've received cold stares from them.

■ The day konjac jelly was mistaken for "churu"

I don't want to see their disappointed faces. And I don't want to endure their cold stares that seem to say, "Why are you hogging it all to yourself?" In short, I don't want to do anything that might make my beloved cats dislike me.

With that in mind, as a cat lover, I usually try to be careful not to cause misunderstandings when I eat my own food. However, sometimes my cats' "Isn't that ours!?" radar reacts to unexpected things, and I think, "Oh, it's over..."

For example, one shocking incident was when I was slurping my favorite konjac jelly snack. As I happily enjoyed it after buying it at the supermarket, my cats' intense pressure pierced me, as if saying, "Don't steal our churu!"

Apparently, all long, slender items look like cat treats "churu" to my cats. (They can remember shapes—what geniuses!) Seeing the three cats start to gather the moment I opened it, I resented "churu" for the first time, even though it's helpful for giving medicine. Damn you, "churu." It's just too delicious...

My cats firmly believed they would get some, so I, the servant, tried to explain, "This is called konjac jelly..." with information I found on Google. But they wouldn't listen, and with every bite, I received cold stares from them.

In the end, I was labeled "the one who hogged it," which really hurt my feelings. (After that, I gave them some churu as an apology.)

My cats' "Isn't that our food?" radar seems to activate even when they're relaxing in high places. Another day, when I opened a stick of coffee, Kotaro stared at me from the shelf.

Unable to meet his gaze, which seemed to be asking, "Are you going to hog it again? Is that really how you want to live your life?", I left the living room, only to be met with cold indifference the next day. I realized that just like between humans, misunderstandings between cats and humans are difficult to resolve.

■ So many "stick traps" in everyday life!

From these experiences, I became completely "stick-shaped object phobic." To maintain a loving and affectionate relationship with my cats, I try to avoid stick-shaped items as much as possible. I endure not eating my favorite konjac jelly and make my stick coffee out of their sight, thoroughly and painstakingly.

However, one day, I had a cold, and as I took out my usual herbal medicine, my cats started meowing loudly at my feet. "Huh? It's not a treat or food, so why...?" I wondered. I looked closely at the herbal medicine in my hand, and oh, no... it was long and slender!

Another day, as I was munching on some yokan my mother gave me, Jiji looked shocked on the table. "Oh? Did I mess up again...?" I thought, and looking at the yokan in my hand, it was also stick-shaped!

There are surprisingly many stick-shaped things in this world. As a cat lover, I sometimes feel a little burdened by it.

■ When "granola" was mistaken for cat food...

My cats don't just mistake things for "churu"; they also mistake them for cat food, thinking, "Hey, is the servant eating cat food?"

The first time this misunderstanding happened was when I ate granola in front of them. Unlike when they mistook a long, slender item for "churu," my cats seemed a bit put off as I ate something crunchy, similar in shape to their kibble, with milk.

I somehow felt complicated, as if they were saying, "Finally, the servant can eat."

By the way, on days when chicken breast, which both humans and cats can eat, is on the dinner menu, a fierce battle ensues. My cats use their excellent sense of smell to the fullest, meowing in the kitchen around the time the chicken breast is boiled.

Jiji, who has been with me the longest, devises a plan with a mischievous look, as if to say, "Don't rely on begging; the important thing is how to steal it!"

「棒々鶏のササミを狙う」と決めた日の悪い顔。 pic.twitter.com/RsB3fBhLtu

— ゆあ＠ライター (@yunc24291) September 27, 2023

Even if I say, "It's hot, so I can't give it to you yet," my cats don't give up. I succumb to their urging, put a small amount of boiled chicken breast into the rapid freezer, and give it to them before I even taste it. I must be seen as an "easy mark." But that's fine; as long as you're happy...

How can I enjoy food that I can't share without causing misunderstandings with my cats? This is probably an eternal challenge for all cat owners. If you have found any solutions in your homes, such as "This method works well!" or "This is what I do," please let me know.