Story: Real Life Pet + Final Fantasy

I'm a little hesitant posting this in the forums instead of a blog or something, but it's a situation that made me laugh a lot and I feel like at least some people here might get a kick out of it too.

Sometime within the past 2-3 or so years I started playing Final Fantasy XIV. I was a next level sprout back then, but still loved the character creator so spent some time just toying with that. I also had two older cats as pets, since passed. They used to hang out with me while I played.

My cats didn't really understand or seem to care much about tv. They just liked the company. One day I was messing around making a female miqo'te. The head and shoulders were on display. I turned around to talk to a friend, so the model was idling a bit.

Meanwhile, one of the cats is waddling into the room behind me. I see him freeze. He's locked in eye contact with the cat girl on the screen. I swear to god I could see the realization click in his head as his tail proceeded to explode and he started growling.

Scared the little guy by laughing. He calmed down after I scooped up and pet him for a bit, but my old cat seriously reacted like he was seeing something out of a horror movie from this miqo'te.

I'd love to hear if this kind of thing has happened to anyone else, it was just so weird. I guess cat/human hybrids aren't as cute for them as they are for us.

My cat hasn't reacted to my character that I've seen. She does, however, like to jump on my desk at the most inopportune moments (cats know), make herself comfortable and go to sleep, usually over the mouse wire, so it's more than a little awkward to play. Sometimes she will parade around in front of the monitor which is incredibly frustrating, but she just wants love and attention so it's also adorable. At other times she likes to watch the mouse cursor, and will bat at it, and she has watched some combat with interest. I like to imagine she's just storing the information until she has developed opposable thumbs.

The only game she's had a growl at was the Sims 4 (Pets). When creating a cat, they miaow and purr a lot, and my real cat objected to this pixel interloper in her domain.

I've not had a cat in a few years, since the last one passed. Mine would just crawl in behind my PC and curl up against the heat vents. Was annoying in the summer when my PC would occasionally overheat because of it.

Whenever I mount a Lanner, my cat tries to destroy the tv.

Haven't had a cat react to the screen. My dear long-haired black cat, Mischief, would steal my chair every time I got up though. I know he was just going after the warm spot, but it was still funny to come back to this mass of black fur with two bright yellow eyes looking up at me as if to say "this is mine naow!

Funnily enough, yes one of my cats, Blaze, seems to be particularly mesmerized by my Miq'ote alt, took a picture of him watching as I played, alas I can't find it :( He also enjoys attacking any minions I have summoned, as well as certain spells, not helpful when you're trying to play :) Very cute though. Thank you for sharing your story, it made me smile :)

Found it :D He sat there for a good 10 minutes lol (apologies for the size)

https://i.imgur.com/vg4h8vo.jpg