neko atsume is a strange thing

na-vidya-na-avidya:

I mean, I’ve been playing it for about a week, and have you ever stopped to consider the economics of it?

So you equip your yard with food and toys, to lure cats in. Cats come, eat food and toys, and leave you little dried sardines (gold or silver) as thanks.

The way you purchase the toys and food (aside from regular food, which apparently you have a Horn of Plenty of), is with little dried sardines.

IN OTHER WORDS:

1) The dried sardines are currency

2) Currency which you can get from cats (or exchange real-world money for, but that’s metamechanics so let’s ignore that for the time being)

3) The cats are exchanging this currency for food and toys

ERGO 

4) Something is preventing the cats from making their own economic transactions. 

WHY ARE THEY RENTING FROM ME? WHAT IS PREVENTING THEM FROM BUYING THESE CARDBOARD TUBES FOR THEMSELVES??

(Is it a pervasive savings problem, since they never leave me as many dried sardines as I can apparently stock up?

Or)

What seems to be the case is that I own the land that one can put the food and toys on, and this, this is why the cats come to visit me. Bringing tribute, for a few short hours with the toys of their desire (food complimentary).

Or maybe there’s another reason.

Either way:

Neko atsume is a strange feline distopia where cats, otherwise financially solvent, are apparently deprived of the right to own property.