You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Organizations' category.
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
Bolo is a 10-year-old golden retriever with a sad history, but one who has pulled through with a love of people that is, in its purity, almost heart-wrenching to see. Like some of the other animals featured here in the past, Bolo has special needs. These needs make him less likely to be adopted, even though he has a heart of gold and a personality to match. When Bolo was first rescued and brought to ARK, he was little more than skin and bone. The years of malnourishment caused him to develop a skin condition that still requires steroids and weekly bathing to keep in check. Still, though 10, Bolo is truly a puppy at heart. He loves to play with toys and run and tumble with people and there is no greater joy for him than being petted and having his tummy tickled. There is no greater joy perhaps other than finding someone to cherish him, someone to cherish him with a love that is more than skin deep.
(Photo by Kentaro Washi)
Interested in Adopting Bolo?
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 Japan Times and Tokyo ARK have given Angels with Fur kind permission to reprint notices regarding pet adoptions (see: potential pets who have been featured on the Angels with Fur site). In addition to requests for adoption, they also publish success stories about pets who find new homes. Here is the latest success story.
Lime, a wire-haired dachsund, was initially featured on March 3. It was to prove to be her lucky day, the day Jean Kawabe returned to Japan from the U.S. Staying at a Tokyo hotel, she picked up the paper. ‘‘There was something in her eyes,’’ Kawabe says of Lime. The Fukuoka resident called immediately to inquire about Lime, went to her foster home the next day and the adoption was settled. Lime is now happily ensconced in her new home, where she enjoys walks in the huge yard and basks in the luxury of baths. Lime has many friends, including Kawabe’s other dog and the housekeeper, with whom she has fallen in love. Unfortunately, Lime was not in the best of health. She had been forced by the breeder to produce continuous litters of puppies. Her heart was weakened and she had arthritis and other health concerns. Thanks to Kawabe, however, who is also president of the Ohori Lions Club and the Fukuoka chapter of Ikebana International, Lime has receieved the best possible care and her vet says she will live to a ripe old age. From The Japan Times and ARK, may we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Jean Kawabe. Thank you so much for taking dear Lime into your loving home.
(Photo by Minako Sasaki)
Interested in Adopting a Pet?
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
Neeta may look familiar to regular readers of this blog. Indeed, she is the sister of Tetta, a special-needs kitten who found a home in late February. As an abandoned kitten, Neeta, like her brother, suffered terribly from the cold and lack of food before being rescued. Their eyes were damaged, but both kittens, with medical attention, are showing great signs of improvement. Neeta, now 6 months old, has been very shy, but has finally come out of her shell. She is quite the friendly little soul and would surely make a lovely addition to a caring home. Neeta needs someone who can look beyond her foggy eyes and see the warm and curious nature of a gem of a kitten now ready to bravely explore her new world.
(Photo by Kyoko Harada)
Interested in Adopting Neeta?
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
Yuu’s story before he came to ARK eight months ago was not, to put it mildly, a pleasant one. Rescued from nothing less than a living hell at a breeder in Tokyo’s Itabashi, Yuu spent the first eight months of his life shut tightly in a wire cage. He was given food and water on occasion, not every day, and was surrounded by hunger-crazed dogs kept in conditions truly too horrid to describe here. Many of the dogs starved to death. Despite media attention and the local authorities’ awareness of the situation, it took eight years to remove the animals, so ineffective are Japan’s animal welfare laws. Yuu, now 18 months old, was among the few animals finally rescued, but the experience left its marks. His legs, deformed from the cage, were operated on successfully and he is able to walk. Incredibly timid, Yuu is nonetheless a gentle and fun-loving dog, but he is often terrified to go for walks. Ideally, a prospective owner would have a big garden where he could exercise and play. Yuu, the size of a very small German shepherd, is house-trained, patient and very quiet in the house. He needs someone to love and accept him as he is, someone who can help him quiet the demons of his past.
(Photo by Kyoko Harada)
Interested in Adopting Yuu?
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
Green-eyed lady Gigi could well be described as something of a sugar loaf, weighing in at a hefty 5 kg… not all muscle. Nonetheless, she is a stunning beauty. About 4 years old, Gigi has been at ARK for two years now, after being rudely ousted from her home when her former owner, keeping pets against the rules, was ‘‘outed.’’ Gigi is a princess currently living in far from palatial surroundings. Alas, she does her best to adapt and insists on taking afternoon naps in her favorite sleeping basket. She will give the shelter workers a friendly pat with her paw as they go about cleaning her kingdom, though it is not so much a playful pat as one that says ‘‘Good work, team. Don’t forget to clean in the corners.’’ Gigi is a sensual creature. She loves to (and lives to) eat, sleep, and play. A people lover, she’ll hop on your knee for a cuddle and purr. Gigi does get along well with other cats, but only those who totally understand that her favorite sleeping basket must absolutely be made available for her and her afternoon naps. No commoner, this friendly, companionable lady would be sure to (as the old song goes) help her new owner soothe ‘‘every wave that comes.’’
(Photo by Kyoko Harada)
Interested in Adopting Gigi?
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 Japan Times and Tokyo ARK have given Angels with Fur kind permission to reprint notices regarding pet adoptions (see: potential pets who have been featured on the Angels with Fur site). In addition to requests for adoption, they also publish success stories about pets who find new homes. Here is the latest success story.
Lan, a 10-year-old Shiba, was first featured in the Feb. 9 issue of The Japan Times. She, as most older animals are, was passed over at the ARK shelter for many long years until she was welcomed into the hearts and home of the Tange family. Above, Aya, 14, daughter of Denise Tange, chums with a very happy-looking Lan (now known as Lani) in her new Tokyo home. Lan is enjoying four walks a day and play sessions in the park. Still, she is always happy to return home. Says Denise, ‘‘She recognizes the house and whenever we come back from a walk and get near it, she wants to go back in. If I try to walk past, she stops and refuses to move.’’ Lan has also won hearts at the office, where Denise hopes to bring her twice a week. Duties will include ‘‘letting people pet her and give her snacks.’’ Well-behaved and kind-hearted, Lan is described as ‘‘perfectly balanced’’ with ‘‘a sense of humor.’’ Denise says, ‘‘We are thrilled to adopt her. We just want her to be as happy with us as we are with her.’’ The Japan Times and ARK extend heartfelt thanks to the Tanges for bringing love and comfort to a decidedly young-at-heart, very dear, old(er) dog.
(Photo by Denise Tange)
Interested in Adopting a Pet?
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 Japan Times and Tokyo ARK have given Angels with Fur kind permission to reprint notices regarding pet adoptions (see: potential pets who have been featured on the Angels with Fur site). In addition to requests for adoption, they also publish success stories about pets who find new homes. Here is the latest success story.
Former ARK resident Haru, a wire-haired dachshund, was first featured in the Japan Times on December 29. He used to suffer from separation anxiety while at the shelter, but his anxious days are over now that he has found a boisterous and busy family — the Srirams in Tokyo. Above, Haru gets a double embrace by Gita Sriram and daughter Khushi, 7. Family helper Tutik looks on, while the youngest Sriram, 3-year-old Karishma, sizes up the photographer. It is Karishma who insists on bringing the wonderfully patient Haru to bed with her every night. “It’s hilarious to see their two heads on a pillow, sleeping nose to nose,” says Gita. Khushi “loves to carry him around like a baby and he doesn’t seem to mind.” Every day, Haru walks to Karishma’s school, where he receives lots of hugs and kisses from her classmates. The message from Gita: “Thank you so much for bringing him into our lives. He has been a fabulous addition to our family.” From ARK and the Japan Times with deepest gratitude: Thank you!
(Photo by Kyoko Harada)
Interested in Adopting a Pet?
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
Boo us another of the ARK old-timers. He is 13 and has been at ARK for a very long time. There is a sadness about him. Naturally, he is cared for at the shelter but there is no joy in his life. For Boo, the greatest joy, even more than food or walks, is having his own person — something the shelter cannot give him. Boo’s original owner was a homeless person who had to give Boo and his siblings up. All but Boo found a home. A strong, healthy dog, Boo doesn’t pull on the leash and would be a perfect companion to an older person who loves to stroll but needs a gentle, older dog. Boo is fluffy like a teddy bear and needs his fur cut regularly, but he has an excellent reputation with the trimmers and is quite a handsome fellow. No innocent to life’s hardships, all Boo yearns for is one true friend to call his own.
(Photo by Kentaro Washi)
Interested in Adopting Boo?
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
Lime is a 9-year-old purebred wire-haired dachshund. Currently in a foster home in Tokyo, she is the mother of Haru featured earlier this year and now in a new home. When Lime first arrived at ARK, she had the habit of biting her back foot. She and her puppies had been kept in pens without walks and, though friendly, were suffering from a great deal of stress. Lime is a tiny dog. She doesn’t bark and is good with other dogs, but she does get tired and needs a space to simply go and rest sometimes. She still bites her foot occasionally when she gets tired or stressed but she never bites people or other dogs. The ARK staff members are hoping for a quiet home for Lime, one where this tired mother can just relax.
Interested in Adopting Lime
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 (read a Japan Times profile of Elizabeth). 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. (Photo by Kyoko Harada)
See also: Other potential pets who have been featured on the Angels with Fur site
The Japan Times and Tokyo ARK have given Angels with Fur kind permission to reprint notices regarding pet adoptions (see: potential pets who have been featured on the Angels with Fur site). In addition to requests for adoption, they also publish success stories about pets who find new homes. Here is the latest success story.
Julie Okamoto, in a car in Konandai, Kanagawa Prefecture, holds the kitten Tetta (featured in the Japan Times on January 26) upon his arrival from the ARK Kansai shelter. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, high school teacher Okamoto heard of Tetta’s plight — in desperate need of a home but with little hope of finding one because neural damage had affected his eyes. It didn’t stop Okamoto, who, in 26 years in Japan, has worked at her school as an independent activist to help rehome stray cats. Something about Tetta struck a chord and she reached out to help. In a peculiar coincidence, the morning Okamoto was to meet Tetta for the first time, she realized the date also struck a chord. It was 26 years ago to the day that she had first come to Japan. New faces, new beginnings. For Tetta it meant the chance of and AT a lifetime. To the Okamoto family, thank you!
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. (Photo by Briar Simpson)
Interested in Adopting a Pet?
Many other cats and dogs are available for adoption. Please email ARK at tokyoark[AT]arkbark.net or call 080-6146-3889 (English), 080-6517-8913 (Japanese) for more information. 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.
Linus, a 5-year-old male, was abandoned in the mountains behind ARK. He accidentally wandered into a humane trap and thus found his way to the shelter. It’s an unfortunate fact that some people think domesticated house cats can be abandoned and fend for themselves. In actuality, it means near certain death or, at the very least, extreme trauma. Linus, having fallen early into the trap, seems to have escaped such trauma as he absolutely loves people, all people. He also loves to eat and loves to play, which makes him a very fun cat, albeit a very chubby one at 6kg! Linus would be good for someone who already had cats. Admittedly, there is the chance he will try to eat everyone else’s food. As a single cat he would likely devote all his charm and fun-loving ways to his new person.
Interested in Adopting Linus?
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. (Photo by Kaori Kayano)
See also: Other potential pets who have been featured on the Angels with Fur site
Lan is a dog that really, really deserves a home. She would make a perfect pet, but because she is older, people don’t adopt her. They walk straight past dogs like her — a dog that would never bite a child, a dog that gets on well with other dogs, a dog that doesn’t pull on the lead. The lists of Lan’s merits is long. If only people could see the simple joy, the calm, mature joy an older dog brings to a home. No stress, no mess, no training. Lan would make any new owner proud. Lan was owned by a homeless person who was forced to give her up. She is a traditional Shiba mix, 10 years old and weights a slight 13kg. She would fit in well with any family, even a busy one. Lan has a heart of gold and does all she can possibly do to please. Please don’t pass her by.
Update: Lan has been adopted!
Interested in Adopting a Pet?
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. (Photo by Kentaro Washi)
See also: Other potential pets who have been featured on the Angels with Fur site
Susan Mercer from Heart Tokushima wrote to us to let us know that they are making slow but steady progress with rescuing the dogs in Anan. She sent us pictures of three of the dogs that they have successfully rescued since we published the last post.
Aki
Natsu
Pichin
Please consider helping Heart Tokushima in any way that you can. See the original post for details on how to donate money or items.
The Japan Times and Tokyo ARK have given Angels with Fur kind permission to reprint notices regarding pet adoptions (see: potential pets who have been featured on the Angels with Fur site). In addition to requests for adoption, they also publish success stories about pets who find new homes. Here is the latest success story.
Sophia Maria Sugi holds Rum, first featured in the December 1 issue of the Japan Times. Sugi and her daughter Mariko were struck by the puppy’s photo, called ARK and came in to meet Rum, who had been abandoned in a park. The Sugis say their new pup is so full of life they are thinking of renaming her Rambo.
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. (Photo by Mariko Sugi)
Interested in Adopting a Pet?
Many other cats and dogs are available for adoption. Please email ARK at tokyoark[AT]arkbark.net or call 080-6146-3889 (English), 080-6517-8913 (Japanese) for more information. 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.
Tetta is a kitten with special needs and he is in dire need of a home. Born a stray, the now 3 month old Tetta suffered severly from the cold and lack of food. He was rescued but not before his nervous system had been damaged. After he was taken in, antibiotics helped him fight the infection that would have killed him, but his eyes were affected and now move rapidly from side to side. Still, he can see and he moves around normally. Tetta loves to be cuddled, craves affection, and has captured the hearts of the shelter staff, who are desperate to find him a home. They are all hoping against hope that someone will reach down deep, find that special place in his or her heart and reach out to help this dear and very special kitten.
We are happy to announce that Tetta was adopted!
Interested in Adopting a Dog or Cat?
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. 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. (Photo by Kentaro Washi)
See also: Other potential pets who have been featured on the Angels with Fur site
The Japan Times has done a great feature on Japan Cat Network, one of AwF’s greatest supporters.
For anyone who has wandered the streets of Japan, the sight of a woman carrying her designer-clad lapdog will be a familiar one.
Also familiar will be the sight of a dirty, scrawny cat, perhaps covered in bloody sores and missing clumps of fur, running for cover in the nearest nook or cranny.
It doesn’t take an animal lover to realize that cats are widely neglected in Japan, and foreigners here often wonder why that is and what is being done about it.
Susan Mercer, from Heart Tokushima asked Angels with Fur to post the following information.
======================
Two women in Anan (阿南), Tokushima kept 48 dogs tied up on the side of a mountain. The dogs were in poor health and the conditions that they were being kept in were not humane. The two women, both in their 50s, fed the dogs, but did not clean up their waste or attend to their medical needs. The women have now been asked to leave the property. What will happen to the dogs?
HEART, a nonprofit animal protection organization in Tokushima Prefecture run by Susan Mercer, has been informed of the situation and is trying to deal with this case. On November 26, 2007, HEART members visited the home and were able to take custody of two puppies and one adult dog. The adult dog was given immediate medical attention, and it was found that she had an advanced case of heartworm (filaria). While she received treatment (3 litres of abdominal fluid were drained from her abdomen), she may still have to be euthanized due to the severity of her case. Heartworm is an infectious disease and the dogs who remain in the care of the two women are highly susceptible to contracting it. The women did not inoculate the dogs against heartworm or rabies, despite their obligation to do so under the Rabies Prevention Law.
The women are reportedly reluctant to give up the animals, but HEART is trying to find a way to solve this situation. Since they found out about the problem in November, they have rescued ten dogs and obtained land on which they can shelter the rest of the dogs. Animal Refuge Kansai (ARK) has offered to help them construct a building that would be big enough to house so many animals.
HEART needs our help to fix this situation. They are accepting donations of money and/or items and would be very grateful for our immediate help in this matter as the dogs need to be taken out of their current environment and given treatment against heartworm as soon as possible. (Heartworm is highly contagious so the other dogs have a very high chance of having contracted it. However, it is treatable, and the earlier they treat it, the better the chance of recovery.)
Here’s how we can help:
Donating Money
Donations in Japan
Transfer your donation to:
Account name: Anan Dogs Rescue Fund
Account number: 1162690
Bank: Awa Bank, Ihoku branch
Donations from Outside Japan
Send donations to our PayPal account:
susan@heart-tokushima.com
Or send a Japanese money order or international money order
Donating Items
HEART can make use of any of the following items.
dog food, stainless food bowls, blankets, collars, leads, grooming brushes, vinyl poop bags, dog muzzles, bleach, yard brushes, metal buckets, antiseptic soap, sponges, wash clothes, towels
If you can donate any of these items, please call HEART at 088-635-5558 or email susan[AT]heart-tokushima.com to arrange for drop off or pick up.
======================
Read more about this issue:
O’Malley’s story is one of incredible perseverance. On the streets of Nagoya, he cried for food for a week. No one took him in. One day, perhaps feeling he had but one chance left, he followed a woman up her apartment steps, walked straight through her front door and collapsed in an exhausted heap. He was skin and bones, dehydrated, his fur dirty and matted. Luckily, that person took pity on him. Since then, O’Malley, about 8 years old, has been cared for and grown into a beautiful cat, engaging and charming — a cat who will be sure to grow on you. (From the Japan Times weekly photo box)
Interested in Adopting O’Malley?
Please email ARK at tokyoark@arkbark.net or call 080-6146-3889 (English) or 080-6517-8913 (Japanese). Tokyo ARK is a nonprofit organization. It is dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned animals. All animals are vaccinated, neutered, and microchipped.
See also: Other potential pets who have been featured on the Angels with Fur site
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.)
Regarding the Asahi Shinbum article about stray cats in the Yanaka area of Tokyo:
I believe it is wise to scrutinize these kind of stories a little heavier than the media would tend to.
There is a sociological term called “broken window syndrome” which states that “if disorder goes unchecked, a vicious cycle begins.”
If an area becomes known as a place where there are free-roaming cats, it will become known as a place to throw away cats. And with about 80% of the cats and dogs being killed by the authorities (Hokensho in Japan) actually being puppies and kittens surrendered by owners and irritated neighbors, that makes a lot of cats ready to be thrown away every day.
Among the top 10 most influential animal experiences I have had in Japan, (sometime ask me for the full list of ten) was encountering a woman in my town stuffing live kittens into a plastic bag in preparation for throwing into the river. According to her, this was a yearly neighborhood occurance, and sure enough when I first saw her, there were 2 other neighbors helping with the roundup. Local stray cats would have kittens in her shed and that was their way of keeping the issue at bay.
In any place where many cats are running around, allowed to breed unfettered, for the pleasure of some - there are also people tearing out their hair because of the bother, nuisance, smell, noise, food stealing behavior, or ghastly sight of the sick and dying. And a neighbor, or neighbors, may start to take the situation into hand.
A concrete block is fun to rub against. (Try it sometime.) If you have outside animals they will rub against it and that will add to the cornucopia of smells you will let your cats tangle with. The texture is also great for them. If you have sick cats in your neighborhood, then cancel all this advise. You don’t want to import sneezes and eye infections.
To cats, smells are like going to an art museum, or better yet to see Pink Floyd the Wall. Look for ways to bring in interesting smells even if they will last for a short time. Sometimes we will take a big cardboard box, freshly picked up from the supermarket and sprinkle in mata tabi (Japanese cat nip). That is a nice toy for a couple days - then recycle it.
In our house, the cardboard scratching boards don’t last long. What we have done is wrap rope or twine around a wooden post. That allows them to scratch, and climb. Inside cats miss climbing. We also created runners so they cat actually run above my head.
For a more inspiring version check out the Cat’s House.
In general, l feel that letting cats go out greatly shortens their lifespan. (And worrying about why they didn’t come home will shorten yours.) The greatest danger seems to be cars. In spite of that, we do allow some of our cats to have an inside/outside life. We have some cats that were likely born outside and grew up outside. Though they have gotten friendly with us, even sleep on our bed sometimes, they have not tolerated inside life very well — or got along with other cats in an inside-only community. We felt our only choice was to allow them outside.
If your cat has not yet tasted the pleasure of the world beyond the genkan, I would not let them out. Instead, find ways to bring the outside in. Cut them some grass or green bamboo stalks and leaves. Watch them eat it up, and then likely vomit it out to clean their stomachs. Get a concrete block and leave it outside for a couple weeks. Bring it in, watch your cats sniff and rub against it. Give them a place in the sun or an open to air window to enjoy inside, that they can not escape from. If you have a veranda or a little garden space (lucky you!), look for ways to enclose it. You can give your kitties a little piece of paradise: include a dead tree to climb, remove dirt cause they will certainly do their business there.
If you have other ideas, please share them in the comments.
Recent Comments