What's the status?
The damage is immense.
It's spreading far more quickly than we predicted.
A virus that turns people into cats?
Prime Minister Shigetaka Glent
That would be wonderful, but we can't have it!
The Prime Minister is entering!
The Supremely Cute Cats Special Disaster Response Headquarters
Cat-Loving Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ichiran Allo
The cats are gradually moving into populated areas one after another,
adding more to their numbers.
Many large cities have already transformed into cat havens,
and we have lost contact with them.
If the virus continues to spread at this pace,
our current location will be overrun by cats in mere hours.
Multiple groups of adorable cats have already been spotted heading this way.
Is there any way to stop their advance?
Prime Minister's Cat Secretary Shigeaki Winters
I know cats are omniscient and omnipotent,
but they must have a weakness!
Ministry of Neko, Natural Environment Bureau, World Cat Division Deputy Chief Hitomi Cateaux
We've tried water bottles, spike sheets, cat-warding ultrasonic waves, and sprinklers,
but all such measures only slowed them down temporarily.
I don't know how to stop that many cats.
President of the Global Cat Lovers Society Tadanaka Ozzy
Even a single cat possesses extreme levels of energy and curiosity.
They are indeed the perfect lifeform, far surpassing human knowledge.
What about my troops?
Even up against invincible cats,
surely they aren't completely powerless!
No human can pull the trigger on a cat.
It's that simple.
Guns, armored vehicles, tanks, fighter planes, even unmanned weaponry...
In the face of cats, they're all just scrap metal.
Cat-Loving Chief of Staff Takeshi Gordon
We'd fare better against an army of hostile aliens.
I'm sure our men would choose death over harming a cat.
At least, I know I would.
Adorable Cat Files
It's just like
being unable to do anything because there's a cat on your lap.
Especially when it's so cute, you can't focus on anything.
Our last line of defense has been breached!
Ministry of Education, Cats, Sports, Science and Technology, Research Promotion Bureau, Basic Research Promotion Division Chief Tomo Grande
The cats are surging in!
Brawny Cat-Loving SP Sori Gardner
Prime Minister, we should get to shelter.
But...
There must be something more we can do!
Rescue the uninfected cats...
and there must still be citizens left behind, too!
We must take shelter,
Cat Assembly Research Institute Director, Deputy Director-General of Catnap Safety Measures Hinode Sunrise
for the future of the cats and the continued existence of mankind!
If we humans, the ones at the top, turn into cats,
National Nekoson University Graduate School Associate Professor of Postgraduate Biospheric Cat Sciences Mutsuki Clove
how are we going to keep the post-apocalyptic world running?!
I have fought against many things
in order to protect this country.
Societal and financial matters,
foreign affairs, natural disasters...
I couldn't begin to count them all.
At all times, I have endeavored to improve this country
according to my own sense of what is right.
But...
in the face of cats, I was utterly powerless.
I couldn't do a thing!
VIP Helicopter CAT-222LOVE Ultimate Cat
Is it my own weakness?
Or is it...
Oh...
Could there be a more precious way to leave this life?!
Before the Nyandemic
People who hope to get by in this cruel modern world
need to purify their hearts.
And the place I go to do that
is not a fancy restaurant or a first-class massage parlor.
It's Megokoro Nekome, a cat café.
Welcome.
The cats there greet me in a variety of ways.
Some are friendly, climbing all over me
and asking me to play with them.
Some are shy, evaluating me from a distance.
Some stay right where they are, looking ever dignified.
There are no time limits here.
It's just a café that has cats in it.
Could there be a more charming little business?
French toast and a blended coffee, please.
You got it.
Even the time spent waiting for my food
is pure bliss in this café.
Come on, over here.
There you are, you naughty boys and mischievous girls.
Oh, this is so fun! They're so cute!
This is bliss!
Tanishi, your order's ready.
Oh!
More later, okay?
Don't mind if I do.
Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.
I'm sure it sounds cliché,
but the buttery French toast they make here is the best.
The moment the sweetness of the maple syrup fills my mouth,
I follow it up with coffee to balance out my senses.
Hey!
Damn. You okay?
Oh, yeah, just fine.
Kunagi. Washrag, please.
Now, look.
You know you shouldn't do things like that.
Sorry about that. I'll make you a new one.
Nah, don't worry about it.
A cat's mischief is a breath of fresh air.
In fact, I think moments like this are what make this café so great.
Because, after all...
there are cats here.
I dumped coffee all over a macho man
I love this place.
Better than any relaxation facility with the best relaxation equipment,
it relaxes my body and heart.
This is how I purify my heart.
Loved every bite of that.
Well, I oughta be...
What... was that?
Looks like she doesn't want you to leave just yet.
How 'bout it? One more cup?
Gaku... One more cup.
'Preciate it!
French toast 1 Blended coffee 1 Blended coffee 1 Blended coffee 1 French toast 1 Cat treats A 1 Cat treats B 1
Could you put it on my tab?
Yeah, sure.
Talk about a shrewd salesman!
That was one temperamental little cat
always doing something naughty and then bolting...
Every time I was about to leave, she'd get all lovey.
It was so cute.
Now that I think about it, she always seemed especially happy when you came in.
I can't be sure, but I think your love got through to her.
Well, yeah, 'cause she's a cat.
Cats get all the love I have in my body and soul!
So... what do you think is gonna happen to us?
I don't know.
I just know I have to protect Kaoru.
I promised Gaku.
Man, I'm hungry.
Kaoru and her friend are preparing food for us.
We need to be patient and wait.
Come on, boys.
It's time to eat.
Time to eat.
They gave us a bunch of food that was near its expiration date.
It's an emergency, after all.
Healthy Koshihikari Rice
Bonito Flakes
Now, I, Kaoru, shall serve all of you an easy dinner.
First, we prepare some steaming hot rice.
It's in individual servings, and of course, it's Koshihikari.
Top it with plenty of melting cheese,
then add a splash of yakiniku sauce.
Careful not to use too much.
Wha... You're crazy!
Now we add an entire packet of bonito flakes.
No need to hold back on these.
Now some crumbled bacon and a bit of nori...
And finally, sesame seeds!
Roasted Sesame Seeds
Th-This is...
And our Kaoru-style lazy dinner,
Cat Rice with Strong Cheese, is done.
Mix it up before you eat it.
"Cat rice," also simply known as "cat food,"
refers to rice topped with things like miso soup or bonito flakes.
It can be made in a wide variety of regional and cultural variations.
Before pet food existed,
leftover rice was often fed to cats in this manner.
It's said that this is why we call it "cat rice."
Cat Rice
But, of course, cats are carnivores.
They can't digest carbohydrates as well as humans do,
and human foods also tend to contain too much sodium for them.
For these reasons, it's actually not ideal to feed this to cats.
Okay, let's eat.
Let's.
Let's eat.
Oh, man! All these strong flavors are exploding in my empty stomach!
The cheese with this random scattering of toppings just screams "youth"!
Yeah! I have to say, I seasoned it pretty well!
It'd be even more brutal with some mayonnaise!
It's so good!
I feel like I'll gain weight eating it, though.
What do you think, Kunagi-san?
So good.
He's always like this since he lost his vocabulary.
Man, I'm stuffed.
That's gonna sit heavy for a while.
You okay? Here.
Thanks.
How do things look outside?
Hmm? Oh....
A lot quieter than it was during the day.
Can't see a single cat anywhere.
No, I'd say there are around a dozen.
Huh?
Two tabbies on top of that outdoor AC unit.
One black cat in that cardboard box.
A brown tabby and a tortoiseshell...
They appear to be resting.
There's a Persian and an American Shorthair on that bench near the bushes,
and a Maine Coon next to it.
I wonder if they're the cats that escaped.
And there are four on that parked car.
They're probably a bonded family.
How adorable.
Who are you, exactly?
Just a cat lover.
What happened? A blackout?!
Come on, what is this?! Just stop already!
Guys, your phones! Turn on your phone flashlights!
What's happening?
What's going on? Is it just this store?
It's so dark outside, I can't tell.
Don't scare me like that! You didn't even make a sound!
Be quiet.
Huh?
Are you all right?
Um, so... I could be wrong, but...
I think there might be cats nearby.
It's too dark! I can't see anything!
The lights went out, that's all. Relax.
F-For starters, let's try to do something about the power.
Yeah... I don't think there are any cats here,
but this is making me nervous.
Anyone know where the breaker is?
Oh, I do.
Boss, it's out back, right?
Yeah, that's right. Be careful.
Oh, it's just a cat.
We're in deep trouble if any cats get in here.
Don't say scary stuff like that.
We searched everywhere... I think.
One of the employees went to check the breaker.
Th-This is okay, right? I think it was over here...
He's... taking an awfully long time.
I'll go check it out.
Hey! You all right?
Cats!
And they're adorable!
You can't be serious!
We closed everything up!
They were there! I swear!
What?!
Oh, man, I was right!
We're in deep shit now!
I can hear more meows!
Cats have a layer behind their retinas called the tapetum lucidum.
It reflects and magnifies even the smallest amount of light,
allowing them to be active in darkness.
Their eyesight itself is worse than a human's,
but their field of vision is far greater,
as is their dynamic visual acuity.
Cats truly are fantastic creatures.
Get away from me!
I wanna touch you, but please get away from me!
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Not good! Move, now!
We can go this way!
What did you do back there?
It looked like the cats flinched for a moment!
A cucumber.
They look like a cat's natural enemy, the snake,
so I threw one, hoping it would scare them.
It was even more effective than I expected.
Oh, what have I done?!
I'm so sorry!
I didn't think they'd be that scared!
I'd thought about it before, but never tried it!
Never do what I just did! Never!
Get a hold of yourself!
The hallway looks clear!
This should be...
Wait! That might be dangerous!
Maybe this way...
It looks like... we're safe now.
Hey, this is a swing door!
One push and they'll come right in!
Make a barricade out of whatever you can find!
Hurry, but take your time! Don't rush it!
The cats could get injured.
I'm impressed you knew about that door.
Oh... Yeah.
The back of my nose gets all itchy when there are cats nearby.
It just gets, like... rustly.
You know what I mean? It's a lot like hay fever.
Your nose sure has been busy.
Rhinitis, hay fever, allergies...
Here, blow.
What do we do now, though?
We can't even signal for rescue here.
We'll head for the nearest tall building.
You mean we're going outside?
Cats are crepuscular.
They're most active around sunrise and sunset.
It'll be hard to see, but we can't miss this opportunity.
Of course...
I always thought cats were nocturnal.
I got a vague idea of the area when we were in the car.
The buildings we're aiming for aren't too far away.
It'd be one thing for you to go alone,
but isn't it too dangerous for the rest of us?
I'm not confident that I can outrun cats, either.
On the contrary.
You are the key to our plan.
Did anything change for you after you got a cat?
I became happier, I guess.
Well, that ends that conversation.
Hmm... Oh, I guess I can't roam around wherever on my bike anymore.
I can't bring myself to be away from home for even one day.
It's said that cats can be left alone for a while with no problem,
but some of them can get very lonely.
Aw, just imagining it breaks my heart!
My Daigoro doesn't so much as twitch his tail when I come home.
He's probably just sulking!
Y-You think so?
Should you be here this long?
You should go home to him.
I can spare time for a cat café!
Don't underestimate a cat's nose. He'll smell your infidelity right away.
Huh?!
It's important to play with him and reinforce your bond as soon as you get home.
Point is, keeping a cat isn't as easy as you might think.