Kotatsu
© Twitter
First, let's take a moment to introduce one of Japan's greatest products: the kotatsu. A staple of Japanese homes, the kotatsu is a heated table that can function as an ordinary surface space in the summer and transform into your own personal heaven-on-earth in the winter. Just throw a special futon blanket on top, switch on the heater, and stick your legs underneath for a blissfully toasty experience that is further enhanced while watching the snow fall outside.

One of the coolest things about kotatsu is that they come in all shapes and sizes. Some of the more unusual designs we've seen include movie theater versions and even a tiny kotatsu for one. But despite the variety, even we were a bit surprised to learn that there are kotatsu out there not just for us but for our furry friends as well!

Japanese Twitter user @usagi_drive recently purchased one such special pet kotatsu for her cat. It seemed like a foolproof idea at the time-cats love curling up in warm and cozy places, so what could her pet possibly not like about it? As it turned out, she forgot to factor in the simple fact that it's a cat we're talking about:

"I bought a cat kotatsu! I'm so glad that he seems to like it."
Yes, that tweet was laced with more than a little sarcasm. Poor @usagi_drive...she was so excited to give her cat such a wonderful gift, only to become increasingly frustrated as he ignored it for the cardboard box instead (ah yes-classic cat play).

Her irritation only increased as the chonker refused to even go near it:


"Old man. Go under the kotatsu. The kotatsu."
Resigned to her pet's uncooperative attitude, @usagi_drive was still determined to make light of the situation:


"I bought a foot warmer! I recommend it to anyone who's sensitive to the cold."
Net reactions ranged from sympathy at the blatant snubbing to disbelief at the sight of the large boy:
"Yep-just what I expected."
"Lord Cat, please at least look in the direction of the kotatsu..."
"Cat: 'The box is supreme.'"
"I almost died of laughter when I saw the tail sticking out of the box."
"That...that is huge!"
"This is the cat that was in that box?!"
"That's a proper middle-age gut right there."
Some net users also chimed in with success stories of their own in an attempt to convey that there's still hope:


"They seem to like the kotatsu."

"It's the same one I've got at home!"
Those cats sure look as snug as bugs-hopefully @usagi_drive's pet will also come around to the kotatsu magic eventually.

Source: Hamusoku (In Japanese)