NEIGHBOURHOOD CAT AND MUSEUM GUARD HAS ADORABLE LITTLE RIVALRY GOING ON
A security guard at the Onomichi City Museum of Art in Hiroshima comes to work every morning and is greeted by two mischievous cats. Ken-chan, a small black cat, and Go-chan, a reddish-brown accomplice, are determined to enter the museum through the sliding glass door if the security guard opens it that day. Each time, her guards whistle her outside and chant her protest cries. It's a friendly rivalry. The cats then hang out outside with the guards for hours. In particular, Ken-chan has a tendency to chase after guards and slip his ankles while standing in the guard's position, probably to persuade the guards.
What's great is that this has become her morning routine. It all seems to have started in 2016 when the museum hosted an exhibition of cat photography and art, attracting stray neighbourhood cats trying to sneak in. Five years later, Ken-chan and Go-chan still haven't given up.
『おはニャ。🐈⬛Good morning.』(20220420) 🎨開館前、久しぶりに正面に。。遅いニャー！#尾道 #尾道市立美術館 #猫 #cat pic.twitter.com/nNZwCGPWqC
— 尾道市立美術館 (@bijutsu1) April 19, 2022
時をかける猫猫009 "Cats Who Leapt Through Time"(20210421)
— 尾道市立美術館 (@bijutsu1) April 22, 2022
『待ったニャー！👮♂️🐈⬛
I've been waiting.』ほぼ 1年前🎨ケンちゃん、遅いニャと背伸び！#尾道市立美術館 #尾道 #猫 #cat pic.twitter.com/zvBnS0FIqr
However, they may love the director as much as the museum, and will usually only try to enter when the director is on duty. Other times, I just sit in front of the door and sunbathe or take a nap.
Ken-chan, who works at a nearby restaurant, has bonded with the security guard over the years. The cat goes to the museum every morning and waits for him at the entrance. His loyalty never wavered. Even when the museum was closed for two months due to the pandemic, Ken-chan stood in for a security guard at the entrance, but was so thrilled when her friend returned that he abandoned his post and went there.
『ケンちゃんよぉ！👮♂️🐈⬛Hey Ken-chan!』(20220420) 🎨警備員さんに誘われて正面玄関へ！#尾道 #尾道市立美術館 #猫 #cat pic.twitter.com/3G2ZyoIOJA
— 尾道市立美術館 (@bijutsu1) April 22, 2022
The loyal black cat now wears a collar as the museum's cat mascot. The museum also sells cat calendars and playing cards with illustrations of him and his friends. The Onomichi City Museum also regularly posts about Ken-chan and Go-chan on Twitter, but the cats clearly aren't going to give up on sneaking in anytime soon.