One cat is living the feline dream after his owner spent £1,800 creating a custom aquarium specifically designed for his viewing pleasure.
Jasper the Siamese cat used to spend hours entranced by Melissa Krieger’s exotic pets as he gazed through her saltwater enclosure from a dining room chair.
So when the 53-year-old’s fish supplier Jason Hering (nominative determinism at its finest) was cleaning the tank late last year, the pair devised a plan to build a ‘mini SeaWorld’ so the intrigued feline could feel like he’s underwater too.
The mesmerised moggy now spends his time looking up and around the tank at the array of colourful fish and he even paws at the hatch to try and touch the tropical pets like a child at an aquarium.
Mum-of-four Melissa shared her video last week on Facebook, and since then it’s been widely shared racking up more than 10million views.
She shelled out $2,500 (£1,800) for Jason to build the 125-gallon tank, but she insists ‘it’s definitely been worth the money’ to keep her ‘easily bored’ feline occupied.
Jasper and the family’s other Siamese cat Willow were a little anxious giving their hatch a try at first, but last month Jasper braved the unknown and they now spend at least 10 minutes per day admiring the view.
Melissa, from Cincinnati, Ohio, US, said: ‘It’s great to see him so happy because you’ve got to stimulate their brains. It’s definitely been worth the money.
‘You spend that much on a TV and this is like a TV for cats. As soon as we feed the fish, he comes running. He’s living the dream.
‘Jason was laughing at Jasper watching the tank and I thought it’d be funny to make something like at the children’s aquariums where you stick your head up – that was the inspiration.’
Once the new tank was installed it took Jasper a while to get used to the new viewpoint, before curiosity got the better of him.
Melissa added: ‘I think the idea of the water being around him was different, so it took around a month and then he was brave and tried it. He’s a little more curious than our other cats.
‘His eyes just got huge when he looked up and saw the parrotfish and they were staring back at him. That’s what made him want to go inside it more.’
Fish enthusiast Melissa lives with two dogs, four cats, her husband Brian Krieger, 54, and their children Adam, 22, Hayden, 16, and Abigail and Hannah, 20.
Her 4ft x 2.5ft wide saltwater tank includes parrotfish, angelfish, cory catfish, and a spotted plecostomus, along with other tropical fish from Jason’s business Aquatics and Exotics.
Jason, who cleans Melissa’s multiple tanks every fortnight, spent 16 hours moulding the tank’s see-through acrylic panes and building its wooden base before fitting it in December.
Jason said: ‘Jasper was apprehensive at first, but it’s great to see they love it. I have to shoo him away when I’m there cleaning the tank now.’
Commenters on Melissa’s video confirmed what we’re all thinking, that Jasper is a pretty lucky boy.
One person said, ‘This is the most amazing aquarium modification, EVER!!!!’ while another added ‘Great idea! Keep your feline entertained all day.’
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