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Taisho is a purebred 1-year-old Bengal male. His story is, unfortunately, a typical one. He was purchased at a pet shop and, later, when his owner became pregnant, put outside and expected to live out of doors 24 hours a day. He was fed dog food. A kind-hearted neighbor took pity on the bewildered kitten, who spent all his time under an old car in the backyard. At 6 months of age he was taken to a rescue as the owners obviously had no interest in him. Taisho loves people and craves attention round the clock. He is quite a talker and will sit on your lap and carry on a conversation with you if you like. He is go, go, go and only settles when he is put to bed in his cage for the night. With the right family, Taisho will surely become calmer. But he will always likely be a chatty, slightly demanding, but very sweet and friendly beauty of a Bengal.

(Photo by Susan Roberts)

Interested in Adopting Taisho?

Please email ARK at tokyoark[at]arkbark.net or call 080-6146-3889 (English) or 080-6517-8913 (Japanese). Tokyo ARK is a nonprofit organization founded by Brit Elizabeth Oliver. It is dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned animals. All animals are vaccinated, neutered, and microchipped. Prospective new owners undergo a screening process.

The Japan Times supports stray and abandoned animals by editing and printing this photo box every Saturday in the Weekend/People section of the paper.

See also: Other potential pets who have been featured on the Angels with Fur site

The following article is from the Japan Times. David and Susan are members of Angels with Fur. I hope that our group can help them with this important work.

The Japan Cat Network, a grassroots animal welfare group in Shiga Prefecture organized and run by David Wybenga and his wife, Susan Roberts, has put out a plea for help with its Hirakata City Project. Initially featured in The Japan Times on Jan. 26 of this year, the network was asked in March to check out a park near the city of Hirakata, located between Osaka and Kyoto.

The situation at Yamada-Ike Koen was dire, utterly shocking. More than 50 cats, in various stages of health and disease, were found roaming the park. There were no signs of a TNR (trap, neuter, release)
program such as Japan Cat Network promotes, and none of the males appeared to be neutered. Two of the park cats were so ill that they had to be taken to a vet immediately.

In April, the group trapped 28 cats, most of them female, and had them neutered. More trapping is scheduled for this weekend and the following week. Wybenga calls the project “amazing”, one that he believes has the power “to change public perception in Kansai”. “Of all the projects I’ve been involved
in, this is the one to get behind.”

In the meantime, five kittens, then 2 weeks old, were found abandoned in a cardboard box in a park restroom. Two were already dead. Three survived and are thriving and being fed every four hours. This past Monday, four more kittens were found abandoned. One had already died. These kittens and others were all taken in.

“Busy and sleepy,” the Wybengas have their hands full. “Once we finish one round of feeding it’s almost time for the next.” And, with presently 11 kittens on the bottle, the network is out of money and in desperate need of help, but determined to keep the project going.

The group is in need of experienced kitten fosterers, loving adoptive homes, money and milk replacement powder (Esbilac for cats). Also, Wybenga says, “if someone is in the area and wants to
participate more directly, contact me.”

Contact info[AT]japancatnet.com by e-mail or check out the group’s homepage at http://www.japancatnet.com.

Esbilac can be sent to:
David Wybenga,
173 Inae,
Hikone, Shiga,
521-1125

Here is a good article from Japan Today about finding a petsitter in Tokyo.

What to do when your pet can’t join you on vacation? In Japan, one option is to board it in a pet hotel — which sounds like a good idea, but can be a nightmare. Some kennels charge exorbitant rates and cram your beloved animal into the cat- or dog-sized equivalent of a six-mat apartment.

It was the poor condition of local pet hotels that inspired Lene Borup Kimura, a Danish woman who moved to Japan 3 1/2 years ago, to start a sitting service in 2005. Being an avid dog lover who missed her companion back home, Kimura saw an opportunity to spend time with animals while helping people in need.

Read the rest of the article.

Is there any way to stop this insanity?

Care for a Chihuahua with a blue hue?

Or how about a teacup poodle so tiny it will fit into a purse — the canine equivalent of a bonsai?

The Japanese sure do.

Rare dogs are highly prized here, and can set buyers back more than $10,000. But the real problem is what often arrives in the same litter: genetically defective sister and brother puppies born with missing paws or faces lacking eyes and a nose.

Read the full article: Japan, Home of the Cute and Inbred Dog (New York Times)

I find it highly offensive when I hear about animals being sold for thousands of dollars, especially in a country that kills an average of 438 dogs and 658 cats PER DAY. Why is there not better advertising done by the authorities to find homes for these deserving animals? I think this is a serious problem with public education. How could anyone spend $10,000 on a pet when there are millions crying out for homes, and they can be had for free? Is it because they are free that they are not valued? Do people need to spend huge amounts of money in order to distance themselves from the stray animals that they see on the streets? I confess I will never understand this trend. I wish I could find a way to make a positive change in this regard in Japan. The language and cultural barriers make it tricky.

What we need is a Japanese version of “Bob Barker” to come forth and be the voice of animals in Japan. Bob Barker is a famous American game show host who ended every show with a reminder to have pets spayed or neutered to help control the pet population. If we could get a major Japanese artist to speak out regularly on behalf of pets in Japan, perhaps we could start to effect some change in this regard. Does anyone have any connections with major stars in Japan? (Someone like Tamori with a regular show and a big following would be perfect.) Or any better ideas?

I posted earlier about the ten commandments of dog ownership, but of course someone has also come up with the ten commandments for cat ownership. Not surprisingly, cats are a little more demanding.

1. I am the Lord of thy house.

2. Thou shall have no other pets before me.

3. Thou shalt not ever ignore me.

4. I shall ignore thou when I feel like it.

5. Thou shalt be grateful that I even give thou the time of day.

6. Remember my food dish and keep it full.

7. Thou shalt spend most of thy money on toys and gifts for me.

8. Thou shalt always have thy lap ready for me to curl up in.

9. Thou shalt shower me with love and attention upon demand.

10. Above all, thou shalt do anything and everything it takes to keep me happy.

There is a new movie out in Japan called 「犬と私の１０の約束」 (roughly translated as Ten Promises Between Me and My Dog). The movie is based on the Ten Commandments of Dog Ownership, which are as follows.

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Regular separation from you will be painful and can even cause depression. Think before you buy me.

2. Give me time to understand what you want from me don’t be impatient, short-tempered or irritable.

3. Place your trust in me and I will always trust you back, respect is earned not given as some sort of inalienable right.

4. Don’t be angry with me for long, and don’t lock me up as punishment. I am not capable of understanding why I am being locked up. I only know I have been rejected. You have your work, entertainment and friends. I only have you.

5. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don’t understand your words, I do understand your tone. “You only have to look at my tail” to know that.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget, if that treatment is unjust or bad, it may spoil the special bond between us.

7. Please do not hit me. I cannot hit back, but I can bite and scratch and I don’t ever want to feel the need to do that.

8. Before you tell me off me for being uncooperative, obstinate, or lazy, ask yourself if something might be wrong with me. Perhaps I’m not getting the right food or I’ve been out in the sun too long, maybe my heart is getting old and weak, or maybe I’m just dog-tired.

9. Take care of me when I get old. You too will grow old and will also want care, love, and affection.

10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, “I can’t bear to watch” or “Let it happen in my absence”. Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember, Irrespective of what you do I will always love you.

The movie, in 40 words or less: Fourteen-year-old Akari, who lives in Hokkaido, gets a dog and names him Socks. Akari’s mother tells her about the ten commandments of owning a dog. Akari and Socks grow up together.

What is the ideal location in your house, from a cat’s perspective?

In honour of the Day of the Cat (February 22: pronounced “nyan, nyan, nyan”), the What Japan Thinks blog translated a survey on your cat’s favourite places to be. I’m not really sure how they got the cats to answer the survey…

I happened upon this article when I was searching for something completely unrelated, so I thought I would share it with you.

The Japanese market for US-made dog and cat food, according to US government trade statistics, ranks as the nation’s second-largest export market, behind Canada. In 2005, US petfood companies shipped almost US$200 million worth of dog and cat food to Japan. This is why, for the past 13 years, the Pet Food Institute (PFI) has been actively training Japanese veterinarians on the advances in pet nutrition and working to teach Japanese pet owners about the importance of feeding the country’s 12.1 million pet dogs and 8.5 million pet cats a complete and balanced petfood diet.

Source: Proper pet nutrition in Japan

I have noticed myself that over the past few years, my cat’s veterinarians have taken more of an interest in her diet. When I first brought her to my current vet in Tsukuba (six years ago), I asked about what kind of food I should be giving her. I got a fairly vague answer with no specific recommendations. Since then, I have noticed a large number of food samples showing up at the clinic, with Science Diet, Iams, and Eukanuba dominating the shelves. These products weren’t even available in Japan when I first got my cat (1998), or if they were, they were rather hard to come by. I’m glad that we now have the option of feeding our pets these products, but I confess that in these days of pet food scandals, I am still not 100% sure which one is best for her. I have been feeding her Science Diet for many years now, but I often wonder exactly how much science has gone into the food.

One of the Aw/F members brought this to our attention recently:

Thanks to my new ipod, I recently discovered a program called Pet Life Radio. The programs are quite interesting and cover a wide variety of topics.

Anyway, tonight on the “vet” program there was a story about a company called Allerca making hypoallergenic cats. I personally, found the whole thing rather bizarre. The “top of the line” cat is not only hypoallergenic but is a mix of two exotic breeds. It only costs $28,000. He said many of the
cats, including the cheaper ones, are “sold out.” And dog lovers don’t worry. Apparently they are “making” hypoallergenic dogs for 2009.

I understand the importance of genetic research, but I do wish we could learn about ourselves without inflicting harm on the animal world.

I mean, I understand that it is important for us to learn how to treat human genetic diseases, but when a side product of that research is glow-in-the-dark cats…

And the nature vs. nurture argument certainly bears investigation, but when that leads to fearless mice…

I suppose these are two examples where the animals themselves are not necessarily being harmed, but they still make me feel uneasy.

The Ministry of the Environment reports that 160,000 dogs and 240,000 cats are killed by public authorities every year in Japan (source). That’s an average of 438 dogs and 658 cats killed in Japan EVERY DAY. The majority of the cats that are destroyed are kittens. Cats who copulate have an almost 100% chance of becoming pregnant and a cat can have kittens two to three times per year. Since there is a tendency in Japan not to have cats spayed or neutered, this problem has become outrageously out-of-control.

I’m sure that I am not the only one on this list who gets a sick feeling deep inside hearing these statistics. I hope that we can all work together to try to educate the public about having pets spayed or neutered and being responsible pet owners.

(Japan Cat Network is one organization that is working to solve this problem. Please visit their website for more information. And do consider donating to support their humane trap drive.)

There is a serious situation in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki that needs the help of some animal lovers.

In May 2007, Avi Landau wrote an article for Alien Times about how birds are being trapped in nets at Lake Kasumigaura and left to die. After he wrote that article, he discussed the problem with the city and received some assurances that something would be done about the situation. It is now more than half a year later and when Avi visited the lake yesterday, he found that nothing has been done. Beautiful owls, hawks, egrets, and herons are stuck in the nets and have been left to die there.

Read the full article: Save the Birds

A 13-day old hamster named Mocha meets broccoli for the first time. Be sure to watch his feet.

More videos from the same hamster owner available here.

The Ekinet Train Shop (affiliated with JR East) sells a hot pad that is perfect for pets (especially heat-seeking cats). In fact, this pad is now being marked as a “leg warmer”, but when I bought mine from this site, it was listed as a “pet pad”. The pad uses “certified space technology” (or at least, that is what it says on the embroidered label on the pad) to keep your pet warm without electricity. I am not sure how it works, exactly, but when your pet lies down on the pad, their own body heat warms the pad up (just in the part where they are lying) and keeps them warm.

My cat LOVES her pad. I put a light blanket over it so that I can wash the blanket when the cat hair builds up. I feel better when I leave her alone in my unheated apartment during the daytime now that she has a little self-heated place to sleep. I was sceptical about buying it at first, but it I’m glad that I did because it definitely does work, and my cat really seems to like it.

We don’t really have a category for otters on this site, but we try not to exclude animals of any persuasion. This video is just really heartwarming, so I thought I would share it with you on a lazy Saturday morning. (Not much happens, so don’t expect car chases or even scene changes.)

Here is an excellent video (set to The Cure’s “Love Cats”, which if you squint your ears sounds just like “lolcats”) that will give you a sense of the lolcats phenomenon.

Is this what mornings are like in your house? (<– Click to watch an animated video.)

My cat has a cat door and she always has dry food in her dish, so she is usually pretty good about letting me sleep in the mornings. However, occasionally, she will get it into her head that I need to be awake to witness her eating in the morning. In this case, her favourite tricks are:

1. Trying to pull down the kakejiku (hanging scroll) that is just above the head of my futon.
2. Knocking small objects off my desk or toiletry area.
3. Lying on my chest until it becomes difficult for me to breathe.

I think this is pretty standard cat behaviour. Does your cat have a special way of saying “good morning” to you?

Here is an article I found about how attitudes about pets have changed in Japan over the last few years resulting in a lot more pet-related spending.

Though figures are scarce, a study published last year showed that longevity for cats in Japan almost doubled between 1991 and 2003, from 5.1 years to 9.9 years. Dog longevity surged from 8.6 years to 11.9 years.

Read the full article: Aging pampered pets in Japan get acupuncture

Facebook is a social networking site where you can get in touch (and stay in touch — this being the key) with your friends. I have been amazed at how many long-lost friends I have found through Facebook. People from my elementary school whom I haven’t thought of in over 20 years — but remember fondly nonetheless — are getting in touch with me and letting me know how they turned out. It’s really fun.

Catbook is a Facebook application that lets you enter a profile for your pet and then let him or her make friends with other pets and humans. (Yes, there is also a Dogbook.)

This article explains the application and its history: Facebook with Whiskers

I showed Catbook to my own little feline friend but I confess that she has not shown any interest in the application just yet. Perhaps my explanation was somehow deficient.

I found this video about the funniest Japanese pets of 2004 when I was searching for something else. Japanese TV has all sorts of ranking shows, so I might be able to find other examples of this kind of thing if I dig around some more. It seems like this segment might be from a New Year’s special or something. (I tried to embed the video in this post, but it didn’t work, so please click on the above link to watch it.)

Here are the winners.

5. Tape Dog
4. Big Stick Dog
3. Sit-up Walrus
2. Dancing Cat
1. Floating Dog

I am not sure whether this phenomenon is limited to Japan, but these days you can find bottled drinks for pets in many pet stores. These drinks purport to give your pets a boost in certain vitamins they might be lacking and even help them in their battle to lose weight. Are these drinks just a new way to separate trusting consumers from their hard-earned cash, or do they really work? Have any of you tried them?

Japanese: 愛犬生活習慣 Water 「スリムウォータコタラ」
Romaji: aiken seikatsu shuukan water “slim water kotara”
Claim: Helps your dog lose weight

Japanese: 愛犬生活習慣 Water 「プラセンタウォータ」
Romaji: aiken seikatsu shuukan water “placenta water”
Claim: Helps your dog stay healthy and active every day

アミノペッツ
amino pets
Claim: Helps your pet lose weight by replacing amino acids

Vウォーター
V water
Claim: Natural water with a combination of low magnesium and vanadium

またたびWATER
matatabi WATER
Claim: Invigorates your cat like matatabi (cat nip)

またたびWATER尿臭カット
matatabi WATER nyou shuu katto
Claim: Invigorates your cat and decreases the odor of urine

If you have tried any of these and found them to be effective, please let us know!

In addition to its daily segment about dogs, Fuji TV runs a short segment about cats on Saturdays around 8:20am. The segment is called “doyoubi no nyanko”, or “Saturday’s Kitty”.

They also made a movie called “nyanko the movie” which was based on some of the cats that were featured in these segments. I would like to watch the movie, but I remember seeing a preview and thinking that I probably couldn’t make it through the sad parts (and since it is a movie about pets, I’m sure there are sad parts). If anyone has seen it, please tell us whether we should watch it!

Apparently neko nabes are quite popular in Japan these days.

Makes me want to go and buy a full-sized nabe for my little furball. (I’m sure she would probably prefer the small one even though there is no chance that she would fit. Ever notice how cats have difficulty admitting to their size?)

Fuji TV (known in Japanese as “Fuji Terebi”) has a short segment every morning introducing “Today’s Doggie” (kyou no wanko). The segment starts at 7:54am on weekdays and only lasts about one minute. They usually show the dog at home with its owners and tell you something special about the pet. Sometimes the stories are so touching they bring tears to your eyes, while others are quite funny.

On the website for the show, you can see today’s doggie and go back to see pictures and an introduction of doggies from past months.

I have heard that cats do not mind if their horizontal living space is small-ish as long they have a variety of vertical heights to choose from. Japanese houses and apartments are definitely on the small side, but you can compensate for the lack of horizontal space by making sure that your kitty has some good vertical space to play in.

One good way to provide vertical space, without taking up a lot of your own, much-needed horizontal space, is to install a cat tower. The only problem with cat towers is that they can cost a lot of money — usually more than 10,000 yen, which can be more than you might want to spend on vertical real estate for your feline friend.

If that is the case, you might want to have a look at the Cat’s Haven site which has a list of sites that will help you design and build your own cat tower (see the sites listed on the left-hand side of the page).

If you have succeeded in building your own cat tower, please tell us about it on our mailing list.

Have you heard about lolcats and the i can has cheezburger website? If you are looking for a way to waste a few minutes (or hours if you find that you like this kind of humour), hop on over to the site and browse a few days’ worth of pictures.

A “lolcat” is a picture of a cat with a caption on it saying what the cat is thinking or describing what is happening in the picture. (”LOL” is internet slang for “laughing out loud”.) The icanhascheezburger website is a place where you can share such pictures. You can read more about the genesis of this idea on their about page.

The cats use a special language in the pictures that has its own syntax. It might take a while for you to follow what is being said and find common patterns (e.g. ur = your, incorrect conjugation of verbs, etc.). If you like computer programming, you might find lolcode funny too.

(And if you like lolcats, you might want to try dogslol too!)