Have you ever wondered what your cat is staring at through the window? Or maybe what it sees on a completely blank wall? One thing’s for sure, you can never know what cats are staring at. Whether it’s the abyss, the potential bugs (or ghosts) lurking in your house, or maybe even some birds chirping outside that they are stalking with amusement written all over their tiny faces. Cats are as mysterious as one could get and so are their weird fascinations with certain things.
Recently a cat named Jasper received a very special gift from his Cincinnati-based owner Melissa Krieger. What it might be, you might ask? Well, Jasper got a custom-made aquarium that he can literally climb under!
Meet Jasper, a cat who received his own custom-made aquarium
“We have had a tank in the same spot since our house was built 15 years ago. I have 4 cats and a chair next to the tank. They would all sit and watch fish from time to time. This tank was installed in December and it took about a month for any cat to really go up and check it out. We did not want to force anything but soon cat curiosity took over and Jasper was the first to do it.”
The aquarium was made in a very specific way by a Cincinnati-based store called “Aquatics and Exotics”
It has a cubical window and once the cat slips under it (quite literally), the aquarium can be observed with a 360-degree view through a small cube
Jasper, as lucky of a cat as he is, gets a chance to intensely stare at the array of fishes swimming back and forth under his watchful gaze
Obviously, we were also curious to find out about the kitty’s personality too!
“He is curious, obviously. He is a little stinker sometimes and I wouldn’t call him a pampered cat but he has a pretty good life. We love him very much. I am 53 with grown children, two away at college and two live here. We also have 3 other cats named Willow (Jasper’s biological sister), Indigo and Cobalt (Russian Blues), two dogs, 3 tanks (freshwater, saltwater, and turtles) which, thank goodness, are maintained by Jason at Aquatics and Exotics. Jasper kind of has to compete for my time the same as the other pets with 4 legs. Fish~feed and enjoy, thanks to Jason.”
The cat seems to be quite immersed in his own little world “under the water,” as he gently paws the glass, letting the fishes inside the aquarium approach him for a moment
With all of that in mind, we also asked Melissa why she decided to get a custom-made aquarium.
The cat went viral on Instagram and TikTok where his owner Melissa has uploaded a few videos showing the fascinated cat enjoying the view
Cats are not only curious but also funny creatures at times. Jasper’s owner shared a funny story with us, “He loves to sit in boxes. Any box, any size. I just walked in the house and he is sitting in a little plastic box you store leftovers in. It was on my kitchen counter and there he is. Just looking at me like ‘what?’ When you open a box that was just delivered and take some of it out. Turn your back to box and he is in it. That fast. You don’t know where he came from but he is your box and you have to lift him out. He goes all dead body weight too, like he’s not helping. You want him out, you do the work.”
However, a few users were concerned about the fishes, as they reached out and asked the owner whether or not the fishes were stressed given Jasper’s presence near them
“He likes to cuddle and sleep with you but you have to let him pick a spot. He comes immediately when I call. His beautiful blue eyes. The way he cares for the other cats. They all cuddle together and it’s so cute. A big kitty pile of coziness.”
The owner was quick to respond, “They don’t seem to be bothered by him. Some of those fish are older than Jasper. We have had a fish tank there for 15 years”
Jasper’s owner, Melissa, also added, “I really believe they either enjoy it or don’t care at all. This interaction has been going on for years. The fishes, especially the parrots (big orange ones), are very social with all our cats.”