With summers so hot, it can feel as though we’re cooking alive inside a furnace, and winters dropping to temperatures so low that there are times when we can’t even feel our own limbs – living in Japan during the most extreme seasons is a challenge for most.
Luckily for us, there are plenty of ways we can combat those often unwelcoming numbers on the thermometer. During the peak of the summer season, nothing beats the cooling breeze of a Japanese aircon unit paired with an electric fan, and in the midst of winter, we like to keep warm with hot carpets, a kotatsu heater and the true hero of colder nights – the futon dryer.

Not only does the futon dryer remove moisture and help to keep our bedding clean, but it also does a great job at warming up the sheets, and is a common feature in any traditional Japanese household during the cold seasons.

Just like the majority of other Japanese residents, Sushi Cat (@gunkan_cat) is also a loyal user of the futon dryer and was surprised to find that her cats – Negi-chan and Toro-chan – we’re not as enthusiastic about the useful warming device. For when the futon dryer was brought out at the start of this season, the cats reacted so badly to it’s sudden appearance that Sushi Cat has felt a need to apologise profusely.

他の垢で何気なしに載せてた布団乾燥機にビビった爆発キャットがバズっちゃったのでこちらにも載せておきますね? pic.twitter.com/o36oYLbCsi

— おすしキャット? (@gunkan_cat) November 12, 2021

The synchronised look of bewilderment on the face of both cats is comical, but Sushi Cat could not help but feel sorry for the pair.
Born only in August of this year, this was the first time the two had come face to face with a futon dryer, and for some reason the encounter was a rather surprising one for them.
Sushi Cat, who had not expected such a reaction, had no choice but to mutter ‘I’m so sorry...is it scary?’ in front of the two hair-raised cats.

The original tweet, which has seen over 2,000 likes, received a number of responses commenting on the perfectly mirrored pose and expression on both cats, as well as that it was perhaps the loud sounds of the futon dryer that had caused such a reaction in the first place.

According to Sushi Cat, after a while curiosity got the better of the pair and they came to investigate the futon dryer – though all the while making sure to keep a cautious distance.

Right now, the two are still wary of the futon dryer, but Sushi Cat hopes that someday they will discover the charm of a warm bed and grow to become fond of the useful winter gadget.