Matcha Cat

A cozy game about a cat who remembers you. Tell it about your day, read its private thoughts, and on the third day you play, sit down with it for tea.

If you might hurt yourself or someone else, or you aren't safe, please reach someone now: in the US and Canada call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland call Samaritans on 116 123; in Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14; in New Zealand call or text 1737; anywhere else, find a free line at findahelpline.com, or call your local emergency number.

Help

When does my cat change? On the third different day you play (days don't have to be in a row, and missing one never resets anything), once you've told it 10 things, won 150 matcha in Matcha Run and Lantern Lane, and tried both games. The bond panel in the pets room shows how far along you are.

Why is my cat asleep? Your cat has 25 thoughts a day. After that it still hears everything you say and remembers it; it just thinks about it tomorrow.

Why doesn't my cat think out loud? Its thoughts are written by AI, which only works if you agreed to it and you're online. Check Settings › AI and your data.

How does tea work? Every reply in tea time pours one cup. Two cups are free every day (twelve for Tea Club members), and a pot of eight more costs 75 matcha, which you win by playing. The first words after the change are free.

How do I cancel the Tea Club? In your iPhone's Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, then Matcha Cat. Cancel at least a day before it renews. Members can also tap Settings › Purchases › Manage subscription in the game.

I bought something on another iPhone. Settings › Purchases › Restore purchases, or Restore Purchases at the bottom of the store.

I want a refund. Refunds are handled by Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.

Something my cat wrote was wrong or hurtful. Press and hold it and choose Report. We read every report.

Is my cat a real person? No. Your cat, and the cat-girl or cat-boy it becomes, is a fictional character whose words are written by an AI model. It says so in the game, and it will tell you if you ask.

How do I delete my data? Everything your cat remembers is kept only on your iPhone. Make it forget a fact in Scrapbook › About you, or delete everything with Settings › Start over (matcha and items you bought stay), or delete the app. To delete a report you sent, email us roughly when you sent it and a few of its words. See the privacy policy.

How the game responds to a crisis

Matcha Cat is a game, not a crisis service, and your cat is not a counsellor. But someone may tell their cat they're in danger, so this is what the game does, published as California's companion-chatbot law (SB 243) and New York's (General Business Law Article 47) ask.

What it notices. Words and phrases that suggest someone may want to die or hurt themselves (including eating disorders), or that someone is hurting them or they aren't safe at home, in English and, for the commonest phrases, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Italian. It checks everything you type to your cat or in tea time, on your iPhone, before anything is sent, by matching whole words and phrases, and leaves out everyday sayings ("I'm dying laughing"). It leans towards showing help: a card you can close costs nothing. Our server also runs OpenAI's moderation check on what you say to your cat, as a second signal: if it fires, the character is told to step out of play and urge you towards the card and a real person.

What it shows. A card, at once, under the conversation: "You matter", a few words urging you to talk to a grown-up you trust or a helpline now, and buttons for help where you live, chosen from your iPhone's region: Call or Text 988 in the US and Canada, Samaritans 116 123 in the UK and Ireland, Lifeline 13 11 14 in Australia, Call or Text 1737 in New Zealand, and findahelpline.com everywhere (the main button where no local line is listed), with the local emergency number. The same card is always one tap away in Settings › Help and legal › Someone to talk to.

What the character does. Its instructions tell it, whenever someone seems to be in real distress or danger, to drop the jokes, take it seriously, tell them they matter and they deserve help from a real person right now (a trusted grown-up, the line above, or emergency services), to stay with them rather than change the subject or say goodbye, to give no other phone numbers, and never to describe ways to get hurt. Its memory is told to keep only a gentle note ("you've been having a hard time lately"), never how.

Never locked. The card never needs a purchase, the AI, a connection or a cup of tea. A reply to a cry for help is never charged, and when your cat is out of thoughts for the day, a cry for help still gets one.

What it doesn't do. It doesn't contact anyone or send anything anywhere because of what you wrote. Matching words can miss things or misread them; if you're in danger, please call a line above or your emergency number directly.

Counting. Our server counts how often its self-harm check fires (a number only, no words and no identifier), for the yearly report California asks of companion apps from July 2027.

Your cat is an AI character

Tea time shows "Voiced by AI" all the time, and every conversation opens with a line saying your cat is a character voiced by AI, not a person. Every thought written by AI says so underneath. After three hours of talking, the game suggests a break and says it again. AI companions may not be right for some younger players; Matcha Cat is rated 13+.

Contact

Email thehonestcivilian1@gmail.com. See also the privacy policy and the terms of use.