With the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, it’s understandable that many people are scared of coming into contact with germs when touching communal surfaces, even if they’re sanitised regularly. Hence, Neco Republic has offered their own adorable solution to this issue by coming up with cat fur-patterned finger masks.
These cat finger masks will keep your fingers safe and snug, and you no longer have to worry about having direct contact with germy shared surfaces or items.
Image adapted from: Neco Republic
Neco Republic is an organisation created by cat lovers. They aim to put an end to the cruel reality where large numbers of stray and abandoned cats in Japan get euthanised daily. Neco Republic hopes to raise awareness about rescue cats and cat adoptions so that stray and abandoned cats in Japan will no longer have to suffer or be euthanised needlessly.
Image credit: TripAdvisor
With 7 cat cafes and facilities, Neco Republic provides a safe home for a large number of rescue cats. They rely heavily on crowdfunding, donations, customer visits, and the sales of cat-related goods to sustain their operations and take care of their cats’ well-being.
Through events and the use of promotional materials, they actively spread awareness about rescue cats and encourage people to consider adopting cats instead of buying from pet stores.
Image credit: TripAdvisor
Cat lovers who are fond of any of the rescue cats found in the cat cafes run by Neco Republic can also apply to adopt them. If you wish to adopt a cat, a strict procedure will be executed together with a 2-week trial period to ensure that you and the cat are truly compatible.
Individual packaging for the cat fur-patterned finger masks
Image credit: NECOREPA
Recently, Neco Republic came up with a new product called “Finger Masks”. It helps to protect your fingers from coming into direct contact with communal surfaces, which can harbour germs and grime. These cat fur-patterned finger masks are small, compact, comfortable, and easy to carry around.
They are made with antibacterial material, compact yarn, polyester, cotton, and acrylic. The colours of these cute finger masks are also designed to replicate the fur pattern of 5 different cat breeds – Siamese, American Shorthair, Singapura, Russian Blue, and Scottish Fold.
Some of the uses of the finger masks
Image adapted from: NECOREPA, NECOREPA, NECOREPA, NECOREPA
Due to the COVID-19 situation, many people have been worried about the cleanliness and safety of communal spaces since these places and surfaces are visited and touched by multiple individuals in a day. Examples of communal surfaces include doorknobs, elevator buttons, and the fridge doors in convenience stores.
As an added safety and hygiene measure, some people have begun using gloves outdoors to reduce skin contact with communal surfaces. However, regular knitted gloves can be bulky and inconvenient. Thus, Neco Republic came up with the idea of finger masks as a solution to protect oneself from directly touching outdoor surfaces.
Image credit: NECOREPA
By wearing these finger masks, you no longer have to worry about having to touch communal surfaces with your bare skin. These finger masks also have touch screen capabilities so you can freely use your phone or tablet while wearing them.
An individual set will cost you ¥1,200 (~USD11.35), while a set of 5 costs ¥5,900 (~USD55.82). The cat finger masks can be bought from Neco Republic’s online store. All the proceeds from the sale of these cat finger masks will go to helping the rescue cats under Neco Republic’s care.
Video showcasing the usefulness of the finger masks
Image credit: NECOREPA
Neco Republic also has a variety of other cat-related products available for purchase at their online store. This includes the Cat’s Ear Coin Case, a triangular coin case made to evoke the image of cat ears.
These coin cases are made from PVC material and are compact and easy to use. Besides holding coins, these cases are also great for storing supplements, medicine, or even small accessories such as earrings and hairpins. A single coin case costs just ¥900 (~USD8.52).
Cat Mask Bag (Left); Loose Cat Reversible Mask (Right)
Image adapted from: NECOREPA, NECOREPA
Other products include a Cat Mask Bag and a Loose Cat Reversible Mask. The cat mask bag, which costs ¥1,000 (~USD9.46) each, will come in handy when you need to safely store your mask while dining outside.
Since wearing masks has become compulsory these days, the cat reversible mask will be a stylish and fashionable addition to your mask rotation if you’re a cat lover. It is soft, comfortable, has good breathability, and only costs ¥1,900 (~USD18.73) each.
With the pandemic still an ongoing issue around the world, safety and health is of the utmost priority for all. To protect yourself from unnecessary exposure to germs in communal spaces, check out these adorable cat fur-patterned finger masks by Neco Republic – they are purr-fect for keeping your fingers snug and safe.
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Cover image adapted from: NECOREPA, NECOREPA, NECOREPA, NECOREPA
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