![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilove.cat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/140513_ILC0295.jpg\" "\\"140513_ILC0295\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nSurrounded by Animals<\/h2>\n– You have quite a family here. Not only two cats, but dogs as well.<\/h3>\n
\u201cRight now, we have two cats, Bebi and Danyo. Then there\u2019s Kirari the miniature dachshund and a miniature schnauzer named Chrome. So a total of four animals. And that\u2019s not counting babies – so it\u2019s quite lively here, to say the least (laughs).\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. My mom was an animal lover and we always had various animals at home since I can remember. And not just cats, but snakes, squirrels, rabbits and birds\u2026 so it\u2019s natural for me to live alongside natural creatures. Of course, back then it was mom who took care of them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I started living by myself, I initially got a cat. Though I really wanted a dog, I thought a cat would take less time and effort. So I took in an Abyssinian and named it Pepe. Then I fell in love with the cat and ended up getting another one. Then came the dogs, Kirari and Chrome. And then finally Bebi and Danyo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause dogs are so active, I wanted to live with them at least once. So when I got a cat for the first time, I tried to train it like a dog – by using leash and trying to take it for a walk. Of course it didn\u2019t even move an inch, so I gave up on that idea quite quickly. I guess I just had this stereotype – something like \u2018pets = dogs.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was crazy about Abyssinians. In addition to being beautiful, they are quite active. So I began frequenting pet shops to see if they were getting any new Abyssinians in. One day, I heard about an Abyssinian that caught a bad cold and ended up with a cataract-like condition in one eye. The pet shop said it couldn\u2019t be put out for sale any more, so I told them that I would take it in. At first, the two cats didn\u2019t get along. But the one with the bad eye – maybe because it had a bad eye – has a very gently character. So eventually the fighting ceased they came to get along.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cI still couldn\u2019t hold back my desire to live alongside dogs. First, I took in Kirari. More than cats, dogs appeal directly to you for attention, don\u2019t you think? Then Chrome came to live with me as well, and the two Abyssinians passed away. That\u2019s when Bebi came into my life. My friend told me about a breed of cat called a \u2018Toyger.\u2019 I looked them up online and saw some pictures. They are very handsome with their tiger stripes. But since they were a rare breed and aren\u2019t very well-suited to being pets, I looked for an easier breed to take care. Of course, I found out about Bengals.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cWe first met at a photo shoot for the magazine called \u2018MAQUIA.\u2019 Danyo was a pet model. For pet-related photo-shoots, editors usually make specific requests to animal model agencies – they\u2019ll ask for a cat with such-and-such an image or character. Most of the time, experienced animal models are used. However, on this day, it happened to be Danyo\u2019s first-ever job. He was running around with these short legs and just was too cute. I just couldn\u2019t give him up! So I asked the agency to give him to me. I didn\u2019t want to make him work anymore! (laughs)\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had lived with so many animals that I was already used to taking care of them, so didn\u2019t think it would be too much work. But living in Tokyo, I do think four animals is about the maximum. Considering that there\u2019s now a baby as well, I don\u2019t plan on further increasing our number of pets.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDanyo is a tough fighter. He\u2019s a boy after all. Bebi is mischievous and moody, like a girl should be. I think cats are closer to people than dogs. They seem to be listening to us talk. They even understand us, but still they like to mess with us, it seems.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey are my housemates. They are all free-spirited. As for their relationships between each other, the two cats are scared of Chrome. And Kirari has a very strong maternal instinct, she even breastfed them when they were kittens. She didn\u2019t have any breast milk, though, so she got mastitis once. She\u2019s the only one who doesn\u2019t complain when my kid plays with her. Of course, four animals means four times the care. No matter how tired I am after coming home from work, I still have to feed them, clean up their litter boxes and play with them. But because they keep me busy like that, I never have time to get lazy or down. So I thank them very much for that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course just being with them also heals me in a way. However, the fact that they can\u2019t live without me, the fact that of my existence is important. I see myself as a bit of a loner. And they take me in for who I am, no matter how different I look or act outside of the house.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDogs need my constant attention while cats have a healing existence. Everything about cats is just so cute. How they look, how they move, the way they keep their distance, everything about them is perfect. Their mouths. Their whiskers. Their paws. I could just spend all day looking at them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhether they make my heart throb or not. Or, whether they make me want to protect them. I also find it attractive when they show me their two-faced nature. Cats have a very cute appearance. However, they also have a rather sharp and prim side. It\u2019s the same as with people, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n\uff1cBebi\uff1e<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n\uff1cDanyo\uff1e<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n<\/a>
\n– Have you been living with animals since you were a child?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– How did you first meet Bebi and Danyo?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– So at first you were more of a dog lover? <\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nWhether you\u2019re a dog or a cat, it\u2019s good to be active<\/h2>\n
– What motivated you to get a second cat?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– And then came the dogs?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– How did you first encounter Danyo?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– You already had two dogs and a cat by then, you didn\u2019t hesitate?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– Can you tell us about the character of each pet?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nFree-spirited Housemates<\/h2>\n
– How do you define your relationships with the animals?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– You mean that living with animals is not just a simple method for healing the soul – that taking care of pets actually gives you energy to live?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– Are there any big differences between dogs and cats?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– What are your standards for being \u2018cute\u2019?<\/h3>\n