Learning more about cats (kind of)

Not learning about real cats this time. More about an app that makes you feel like a cat hoarder.


I was told about an app called Neko Atsume (cat collector), where the goal is to document all the local cats in the neighborhood in a scrapbook. You can't interact with your cats, just lure them in with food and toys. The cats only stay for a little while and when they leave they will reward you with their form of money, fish, so you can buy them new toys.

This sounds like the dumbest game ever. I was skeptical. But for some reason this is strangely addicting. I'm not sure if its just the excitement of seeing a new cat in your yard, how it feels when you are trying to complete a Pokedex, how you're afraid to let your cats go hungry, or simply for the fact that these guys are adorable.

But there are a few things that we don't really understand fully in the game. For instance each cat has a personality, favorite toys, and a power level. As far as I can tell no one is really certain what a cats power level means, especially since they don't really do anything. A theory that is out there is that if a cat has a stronger power level and one with a lower is using its favorite toy, the stronger cat is able to kick the weaker out of the yard so that it is able to use it. But these cats look too precious to be doing anything such as this.

There are also some special cats that you are able to gain in your scrapbook, depending on the items that you purchase and place in your yard. The only special cats that I am aware of so far are the baseball player Joe DiMeowgio, the rough cowboy Billy the Kitten, and the Persian prince Xerxes IX.

The good news for you is that this app is free, and its available for both apple and android.

Happy hoarding.