People and their pets are capable of forming deep bonds. And when you form a bond with another being, human or otherwise, sometimes you want to express how you feel about each other. One way to do that with a pet is by dressing yourselves in the same outfit. “Look at us,” these outfits say. “Two peas in a pod!”
Photo Credit: Get Leashed
But perhaps you and your pet have dressed the same so many times that the shine has worn off. After all, there are only so many possible outfits to try before you have a repeat. If that sounds like you, maybe you should try going in the other direction and try to make yourself look more like your pet. Thankfully, this Japanese company has you covered. Now, you can buy a lifelike mask of your cat’s face.
Just look this happy, masked cat owner and their cat, who is in no way freaked out by his new cat doppelganger.
Photo Credit: PR Times
They’re called “My Family” masks, likely a reference to the deep bonds that would inspire someone to get a mask made of their cat. Two companies have teamed up to create them: Shindo Rinka, a creative planning office, and Workshop 91, a modeling workshop in Tokyo.
Previously, these two companies teamed up to create “It’s Me,” another line of unsettlingly realistic animal masks, like this orangutan:
Photo Credit: 9191 Tokyo
To get a My Family mask, first you send the company a picture of your cat. Shindo Rinka then makes a mold of the mask and applies the fur. After that, it’s time to color in the fur with your cat’s particular hues. Here’s a look at the process in action:
Photo Credit: Shindo Rinka
Whether you think these are creepy or fantastic, we can all agree that the end result is highly detailed. Nobody wants a mask that sort of looks like their cat’s face. They want one that’s identical. As you can imagine, assembling these masks is painstaking and includes many, many adjustments.
Photo Credit: Shindo Rinka
And then it’s time to go on your head. Here’s a view from the back. These masks look surprisingly cozy!
Photo Credit: Shindo Rinka
The prototype My Family mask is based on Mr. Louis, a bengal who lives in Kyoto, and is likely going to run away from his owner any minute now.
Photo Credit: Shindo Rinka
Unfortunately, there are still road blocks keeping you from becoming twins with your tabby. Each mask is made to order, and that’s never cheap. According to Grape, the masks cost 300,000 yen, which is about $2,700 US. On top of that, the only way to purchase your mask is through the Shindo Rinka website, but the site is in Japanese and doesn’t include international shipping information. Depending on your language skills, you might need some help buying one.
For now, if you want to see these masks in action, you can watch this video in which a guy in a My Family mask talks about cats.
Right now, owning an ultra-realistic mask of your cat’s face is likely just a beautiful dream. You’ll only be able to fantasize about all the shenanigans you can get up to with a cast mask. Like going to a bar!
Photo Credit: Shindo Rinka
But hey, even if you can’t get one soon, that just means you have plenty of time to get accustomed to licking yourself and crapping in a box.
h/t: Vice