I Even Asked ChatGPT: Why Are Cats So "Cute"?

Why are cats so cute...? This is a question that every cat lover has probably asked at least once. In fact, I, too, am constantly at the mercy of my beloved cat, and have wondered many times, "Why do I dote on them so much?" 

So, this time, based on AI and survey results, I seriously considered what makes our feline friends so cute.

Hypothesis: Why do they look cute?

Why are cats so cute at every moment that they make us instinctively exclaim, "Cute!"? To unravel this mystery, I first observed my beloved cat. Though highly subjective, I decided to investigate which parts touch people's hearts.

Come to think of it, my partner once said, "Would cats be cute if they had human-shaped ears?" ... That's it! Those triangular ears, different from humans, must be what makes them cute!

Thinking this, I covered my cat's ears with my hands and took a photo to verify if my hypothesis was correct. I wanted to see if the cuteness would change.

Alright. What do you think? This should halve the cuteness... It didn't!!!!? This is still cute in its own way. What in the world is going on...?

I was agitated, having been convinced that cat ears were what made them "cute," and found myself asking my cat, "Hey, tell me what makes you cute." When I saw my cat looking at me with a cold stare, as if to say, "She's doing something silly again," it suddenly hit me.

Ah, I see. It's these eyes. Those big, round eyes must be the reason for their cuteness. They say the eyes are the window to the soul (?). Okay, if I cover their eyes this time, the cuteness should be halved.

With that thought, I once again enlisted the cooperation of my feline friend for verification. I covered their eyes with my hand and took a picture.

However, when I looked back at the photos, what came out of my mouth was, "It looks like a criminal cat!! So cute!!!" ...Huh? Did I just naturally say "cute"? ...That meant the reason for the cuteness wasn't their eyes, and I was disappointed.

Even after that, I continued taking pictures while covering various parts like the nose and mouth, but strangely, my beloved cat's cuteness was never lost in any of the photos...

Hmm. With my own subjective bias, I realized that self-verification was impossible. So, I moved on to the second stage of verification. I decided to rely on technological advancements to find out why cats are cute.

Let's ask AI "Why are cats cute?"

I turned to ChatGPT, which is currently attracting a lot of attention. Using the Japanese version, I asked, "Please tell me why cats look cute."

Then, the AI presented five reasons. To me, who thought the reason for cuteness was hidden in some part, it taught me, "Cats are much deeper than that, *chuckles*."

I was surprised by how much knowledge it shared... and impulsively consulted the AI, asking, "My cat is too cute, what should I do?" (What am I doing?) Even to such a trivial concern, the AI responded kindly and attentively.

To think it would be so caring about cats... "You must be a cat lover too." Feeling this, I asked the AI, "Are you a cat lover?" The AI immediately confessed its love for cats.

I feel like I can get along well with this one, who even wants to know more about my cat. While happy about the friendship budding with the AI, I realized the amazing power of cats to captivate not only people but also AI, and felt like bowing down to my feline overlords.

Let's find "Why cats are cute" from survey results.

After my interaction with the AI, greedy me wanted to unravel "the cuteness of cats" from an objective perspective, based on the voices of real people. 

Objective research requires the voices of many people. However, sadly, being an introverted and socially awkward person, I don't have any friends who would cooperate. *Pien*.

That's when I thought of "a consideration of why they're cute" based on statistical data. I couldn't stop grinning at this idea, which was very much like a writer, thinking it would make for a good column.

I immediately searched online for statistical data related to cat cuteness. I stumbled upon the "Survey on the Cuteness of Beloved Cats" conducted by Pet Medical Support Co., Ltd., which provides pet insurance "PS Insurance," targeting 2,144 policyholders (279 valid responses) who live with cats.

Okay, what's number one? Thinking that, I read through the survey results, and what came up was: the number one reason for a beloved cat's cuteness is "gestures." I see, so it's not a specific part after all. And the choice of the word "gestures," rather than the somewhat abrupt and cold words like "actions" or "sounds" that an AI might use, feels more human and is a good choice. 

Cats are not called "cute" because of one particular part, but because everything about them—their gestures, their appearance—is cute. After this strange investigation, I realized this and hugged my cat, who I found immensely endearing. (Though I got my face bitten.)

A cat is so adorable even just from the back of its head that it's too divine. I vowed to continue striving as a servant, grateful for the close contact I'm allowed with our feline overlords, who reign at the pinnacle of the cuteness industry.

Cats are cute because they are cats. Perhaps that arrogant yet endearing phrase suits cats best.