I had an FIV positive cat who came with my house when I purchased it. The cat lived into his 20s, according to his vet. It’s certainly no death sentence!
did he have to take meds and how expensive were the vet bills? My friends cat had FIV as well as Feline leukemia and he died. It was very sad he was a beautiful cat.
All my cats are FIV+. One died of cancer at the age of 9. The others are currently thriving. No regular pills or meds, but with FIVs you gotta react quickly to anything peculiar and at any sign of illness. Be kind to your neighbourhood and keep them indoors so they cant infect other kitties. FIV+ are perfectly cabable living a long life, and I recommend giving them a chance.
my cat is also FIV+ and he’s a very healthy 5-6 year old! i adopted him 2 years ago and the only issue we’ve ever had was a urinary block but he recovered very fast, he’s a strong little guy who loves to meow (with a baby voice too lol) and cuddle and spend time with me 🥰❤️ i recommend giving FIV+ cats a chance because they are just as worthy to be loved just like any other cat
@@kayzee_bee I would only recommend FIV+ cats if you have the money and the will to spend it on vet bills. It's not a good idea in general to recklessly adopt an animal, but this goes quintuple for animals with chronic and/or incurable illnesses.
Cats with testicles are assholes. They bully other cats even the ones they live with. They compete with other males too much and tries to F everything that moves.
"Hello, new cat, and welcome to our neighbourhood! We provide food, shelter and cuddles, if desired. There's just one _small_ condition..." Cats are smart. He has probably figured out that his overall health has improved since his abduction... but I can absolutely understand why he's wary around you now.
@@jody024 It probably will but it will be neglegible, they won't notice. An unfixed male cat can produce a TON of kittens in a month so yeah, they took him out of circulation but there are a lot still unfixed :( Wish this was easier but such is life.
You guys are such good people. Tonbo may not appreciate all you've done for him ("well, I'm never coming near THAT house again!") but it was really kind of you to take him in and get his eye cared for. I am super impressed at how prepared you were for his capture!
It certainly went from a "oh you guys are so nice to catch the cat in the trap and take care of him" to "holy crap you guys built all of that in your cat room and are more prepared than I thought you'd be, we must be dealing with cat pros here!" I wonder if Rachel and Jun could possibly qualify for vet. techs instead of just certified cat parents now?
@@anthonynelson6671 they have taken in other cats before like Poki and Pichi so they are definitely prepared! they also specifically wanted a cat room in their new house for the cats that they will undoubtably rescue and treat as they did with tonbo
@@malaiqa7164 I knew about the cat room, but to me it was such a cat-pro flex on their part for having that netted-box thing all built up to interface with the cat trap including the litter box. As for Poki and Pichi it's just too adorable how they've taken to each other so well over time!
Even if Dragonfly seems like a random choice, I think it should be noted that Dragonflies are also symbols of strength. Samurai would sometimes incorporate Dragonfly motifs on their helmets :) So I think Tonbo suits him quite well!
I didn't even question it! One time, I was coming home at night and there was a massive dragonfly just going nuts at the porch light right next to my front door. The thing was like 3 inches long. I had to take off the button down shirt I was wearing over a t-shirt to try to trap him AWAY from the light so I could open the front door and turn it off, because he was just flying repeatedly into the door. Making a loud ass PING noise every time he hit. He was able to just fly THROUGH the fabric he was so big and beefy. So I see this massive cat and hear he's named dragonfly and I'm like "Yeah that tracks."
Dragonflies are silent and precise. Like the samurai sword. Not like fencing swords, or martial arts/wuxia swords. The samurai sword has that curvature. Dragonfly aerial acrobatics, then quickly snatches its target. Silently.
@@melisma42 no pro is worth the con of mutilating a living creature in one of the cruelest ways possible. It’s not just disgusting it’s shameful too bad humans only ever care about themselves, no matter how hard some of us try too make the earth a more positive place there will always be people like you too bring it down a peg with cruelty 😔
@@flizzygibbs GTFO. More animals suffer without animals being fixed. It's not cruel. You're just one of the people that spout performative wokeness then never do anything to stop it.
@@flizzygibbs you’re acting like it’s the end of the world for the animal. Awhile ago I found a neutered male black cat, he is fine and living his best life, he isn’t suffering, or depressed, otherwise it would show in the way he acts, which it isn’t. Y’all need to stop with this bull shit because I see it on instagram all the time too. The animal isn’t gonna die, it isn’t emotionally damaged, and it actually helps that cat way more than you think. Mating for cats is actually painful, causes stress, and doesn’t really give them a chance to live life. The hormones are kind of like a tie to being wild and only caring about mating. Without them they are more free in a sense and aren’t only focused on mating/territory and all that other stuff. It also helps the local life there and the cats themselves, cats normally tend to breed without thinking so they would add more cats to a group that may not be able to sustain that many cats healthily, and even if there is enough food, that would bring a lot of harm to the other animals in the area that would normally be a cats prey. Overpopulation in cats can cause much damage to them and other animals.
"No cats can resist Churu." It's so true! I brought some back the first time I went to Japan and my cats went absolutely apeshit for it. I'm so happy that I can find it in the local Japanese markets now. Our oldest cat is at least 18 (we don't know exactly how old) and it's perfect for her since it's so soft and has plenty of moisture.
@@thaliacrafts407 I've found using canned tuna and adding extra water works really well to get my cats to take in more water too. I rarely if ever give them tuna, since it really isn't good for them. But its great in a pinch!
@@Cruznick06 unfortunately my cat is allergic to everything and is eating a special insect protein based formula. I really hope we never get to a point where I have to feed her watered down bug mush 😂
*Rachel after Poki:* "Okay, this is the last one. No more cats." *Rachel after Pichi:* "Okay, this is the last one. No more cats." *Rachel after Tonbo:* "Okay, this is for real the last one. No more cats." *Rachel when she finds another cute stray to fawn over in about a year:* "...okay, *_for real_*_ for real,_ this is the last one."
Well..Jun and Rachel only had two cats to begin with which isn't a lot and in which a lot of situations is better than having just one cat, then Pichi showed up blind and deaf and literally their only other option would have been to throw her back outside quite likely and quite literally to her death. On top of that they didn't keep Tonbo and Tonbo has made it very clear that he wants absolutely nothing to do with them even if they did happen to ever decide they want to add him to their pride, which they wouldn't because they respect cats' wishes and want for them whatever makes them happiest. I have 3 cats myself - 2 of them are what I call tummy buddies and the other one is about 16 months younger, all born wild and the two tummy buddy sisters I probably saved the lives of from the sadistic little asshole kid that gave me them. 🤬💔😭🥀😾😿💗💝
They made the a full room to house stray cats temporarily until they get fixed. and then release them back. Which is adorable that they did this to help cats in need, but not make them dependent on you. I have always wanted to do this, and now i can do it vicariously through Rachel and Jun.
Once a feral starts eating with any kind of regularity, roll any dry food in your hands so that it picks up your scent. Doing so helps with everything going foreward
Well, feeding stray cats isn't enough, they all need vet visits, regularly. I'm glad stray cats aren't super common where I live, cats moves around between farms and look for new homes. When I visited Israel I saw their huge stray cat population and was horrified, you see dead and dying cats in the street, they don't receive health care at all, people just feed them. People really need to understand what that looks like and shouldn't romanticize stray cats.
@@c.w.8200 Yes, In the cities in Israel there's a lot of stray cats and it's very sad to see. I think in some cities they have the cats caught and neutered and then re-released. Nice people try their best to take them in but not everyone can
@@c.w.8200 I mean, I don’t think people are romanticizing stray cats. It’s just nice to see people take care of the cats properly, like they are neighborhood cats that everyone loves and is responsible for. Every place is gonna have at least a few stray cats so it’s nice to see people care. It’s really sad that in places with high cat populations, they aren’t taken care of. I know in some countries people just don’t really care about animals. I hope things get better soon.
My brother was stationed in Japan for a few years. When he finally moved back to the states, he flew NINE CATS back with him! Nice to see you guys caring for all the cats! Japan’s view on cats is quite unique.
@@YourCapyFrenBigly_3DPipes1999 Same with Greece. They make sure all the cats are sprayed/neutered and the cat population there is apparently very friendly
@@YourCapyFrenBigly_3DPipes1999 I think getting a cat out of Japan is easier than getting them into Japan. Japan is known for being a rabies free country so the cats have to go through the process to not bring it into Japan.
Thank you for differentiating between FIV and FELV--a lot of people get the two things confused. FIV cats can live long healthy lives, I knew one who lived to 20 years old! It's just important to keep a watchful eye in case of any infections or sicknesses. You guys are amazing for helping to take such good care of the community cats!
Is FIV the contagious one? I worried when they brought him into their house that it might be exposing the other cats but I don't know how transmissible it is.
@@vickenator FIV is only transmissable through blood, if I remember correctly. So he's fine being in the same house as the other cats as long as he can't get to them. FIV+ and FIV- cats can be kept together as long as they don't fight.
@@Chellekathryn FeLV or Feline Leukemia Virus is a highly infectious virus that cats can catch from many different sources such as saliva, nasal secretions and milk. The virus can attack a cat's immune system, leaving them far more vulnerable to other illnesses, similar to FIV. Unlike, FIV, however, cats infected with FeLV must only be kept with other cats with FeLV due to FeLV being far easier to spread
Thank you for being so kind to the cats around your home, especially a black cat. I make it a point to adopt black cats when I can because of the negative stigmas surrounding them here in the states. Tonbo will come around eventually, he knows you're good people 🖤
ᓚᘏᗢ 🖤 You two are incredible 💟 💟 I also love those pets that are under-looked, I especially love the seniors because puppies and kittens get adopted quicker
My girl was diagnosed with FIV but she has lived well over 16 years and still going. Definitely don't euthanize cats who have FIV just because it seems like a scary thing. They can definitely live long happy lives! Also, I too have kidnapped a cat recently. He is around a year old and my mother named him Kiko as it means to be happy or hope in Japanese. Her reasoning for the name is that he has to have a little happiness and hope after all the things he had gone through. We didn't release him as he has a limp from being abused by neighbors so he has become the baby of our family.
My cat contracted FIV after being bitten by a stray. She was five at the time. We kept her indoors from then on so she wouldn't infect others, but otherwise she just kept on living her best life and lived to be 17 before we had to euthanize her due to complications from stomach cancer. 12 years with FIV and it wasn't even what killed her in the end! As long as you can keep them away from other cats (or keep them in the company of other FIV cats), they can live perfectly average to even long lives :D
The way y'all's big dragonfly just laid out on your outdoor couch, chilling. So cute. I hope he musters up the courage to visit you guys again! He seemed comfy.
Glad to hear that the cats are allowed to live their lives free, but still being taken care of. Also that they are being fixed to limit the number of excess kittens.
i live in a nicer gov assisted housing project and we are not supposed to but everyone takes care of the strays cats here they keep the rat population down and sense we are in the country they keep the snakes away.
It is important to fix the cats, yes, but releasing a sick cat outside is not a good choice : even the chance to spread the FIV lessened with fixing Tonbo, it didn't disappear completely. Fixed cats fight with each other too.
@@coastlec4508 or just killed. These weird cat freaks have zero respect for living things. Cats are to other species what the Nazis were to the jews. It's takes a real piece of trash to ignore this.
"And then we kidnapped him, cut off his balls, and then dumped him back outside and now he hates us (fair 🙃)." Ha! This is perfect "Congratulations, You are being rescued!" material.
im not one too get really upset over stuff other people do ya know live and let live but this just frustrates me so much, poor cat randoms trick you with food then castrate them :(( they say he needs too be fixed but they’re not god they can’t decide too mutilate the poor fella
He won't be a bully once he feels he has a home that he's loved and knows there's plenty of food and love to go around! Thank you bless you all. I help kitties in Hawaii
taking to the litter box is pretty standard for most cats when they are stressed/confused/scared, cats tend to wander less after they are fixed, so he will tend to stay in a smaller territory now
My brother kidnapped a little kitten from the side of the road for me last year, today he is the biggest cat I've ever had. Probably the same size as him
Cats like shallow bowls so their whiskers don’t get scrunched up, that’s why he used his paw instead of eating out of the bowl. You guys are doing a great job. I love kitties too and it’s so good to see others love them too.
Love the name Tonbo as his low growls actually kind of remind me of a giant dragonfly. Anyways, really awesome how you treated this void, hope he fares well!
I saw the title and i absolutely knew this was gonna happen this is why i love this channel. This is so like you guys it seems picking up a cat everytine you move is becoming habit for you lol.
The way you guys care about your surroundings and the stray cats around you so much is really beautiful and inspiring! ❤ Also It sounds like such a lovely neighborhood to be part of. Best wishes to Tonbo I hope he will come around again later :)
Tombo is a big handsome boy, I hope he learns to stay out of fights in the neighbourhood. It looks like you definitely moved to the right area for cat lovers.
He's still living on the streets, and doesn't currently come round to their property since they took him to the vet, so he's not really a new family member. It was nice of them to get him medical attention 🙂 He is a handsome boi!
@@jp9707 Haha I’m aware~ But we call our local street cats our family, as we TNR’d a bunch of them as well, feed them, and have seen them almost daily for the last 6-ish years 🐈 This dude has a family now whether he realizes or not-even if they don’t live in the same house ☺️
Tonbo looks and reminds me very much of my late cat JiJi. He was also a huge black cat and also had FIV. Unfortunately he past in Feburary from chronic kidney disease at the age of 6 but watching this video made me very happy seeing Tonbo getting the care he needs. Thank you for taking care of the big boy!
he looks almost exactly like the street cat my neighbors adopted last year!! he's now spoiled rotten and even has his own chair on their front porch. the last i spoke to his humans about him, they'd named him Merlin because of how magical its been to get to know him 🥺
I appreciate them not wanting to put him down. I have a black cat who's FIV positive (hit a little close to home since he was also a stray) and he's lived with my other cats who are not. They are tested every year for FIV and are always negative. They eat out of the same bowls and drink the same water and there's never been an issue. They play together and have fun and he's been a wonderful gem to have. Thank you both for getting him fixed so there's less chance of fighting and spreading the virus!
That's wonderful, it sounds like you're you're all a happy family!😻 I've read and been told different things about how contagious or how Feline Leukemia is contracted, so to be safe we didn't let our babies drink or eat from the same bowl. Sadly, before we had them tested they had interacted and shared bowls a lot, and one of our babies passed away from the Leukemia (he was younger, 4 years old). Best of health to the babies!💗✌
@@bellamymalleb Oh FeLV is absolutely contagious. Those cats need to be in an only-cat family or cats with other FeLV. FeLV is much more devastating but in proper conditions with proper care, FeLV cats can also live long lives. It's all about being on top of their health screenings and taking them in the moment signs of anything (a cold or what have you) pops up. FIV is the same in that regard with treating the secondary symptoms since there is no cure but it's more... forgiving than FeLV. Both cats, however, need to be indoor cats only since their immune systems are troubled. TLDR; FIV is passed via deep bites whereas FeLV is passed through simple secretions like saliva. The latter needs to be by themselves or with other FeLV positive cats. If in multi-cat homes, both types need to be in a non-aggressive household.
@@bellamymalleb I'm also sorry for your loss :( It's never easy losing a furbaby but it was incredibly kind of you to choose to take on the care of an animal that, until recently, was almost always suggested to be 'put to sleep'. Hopefully your other babies are doing well
@@KDGarcia28 Sorry, I saw FIV and jumped to Feline Leukemia, forgetting FIV is like HIV for kitties, NOT Feline Leukemia. Our baby who tested positive was separated. Sad all-around because she had become friends with our other kitty who probably caught it from her and then succumbed. Our girl who tested positive was a stray, seemed to have never had contact with people until she showed up at our back door. Once we got her inside she became a housecat like all the kitties we've ever had. In short, I was confused, and really just wanted to encourage everyone to be safe and healthy. Thank you for your condolences, I appreciate it.✌
@@KDGarcia28 Oh, yeah, our vet told us most people/vets would have euthanized her, but we knew there was hope for her to still have healthy, positive years of life. I'd encourage others to consider that, if the kitty is healthy and well aside from a positive test, then they could have a lot of life to live!😻
Im happy to see you guys care about these strays. I've got a maine coon who I bought from a "trusted" breeder and our kitten turned out to also have FIV, its a sad thing for cats to have but with the right care and regular checkups they can live a good healthy life
My former colleague is a crazy cat lady and had a cat that exactly looks like this one! (Large size and black fur) This cat whom she named "Chu-tong" (it means 'red sugar' in our language), because of how he constantly wants attention and was very affectionate towards her. Due to his large size, he had to be held like a baby. Unfortunately, he passed away last year from an illness. When I showed this video to her, she was in tears! This large black cat brought back fond memories of her beloved Chu-tong, I hope you guys would take good care Tonbo and post more videos of him!
Well, I guess that's what happens when you take a kitty to the vet. I hope you can restore some of Tonbo's faith in you, even if it's mostly through food bribes!
I wish.....one of our cats searched shelter here after being abused by his previous owner one street away (thrown in paint, kicked, guy had some kind of psychosis), another one got shot (alive but with 7 bullets in his butt that couldn't be removed, never found the guy who did it), another one got acid on his paws, and one came home with (gladly mild) poisoning symptoms. Also we had a cock at one point that got anonymous death threads ("get rid of him or we'll cut off his head"). I'm at a point where I'd sell our life-long property in a glimpse as soon as I find a better place.....humans are truly monsters.....
I can't tell you how much Rachel doing this touches my heart. I used to run an orphanage for unwanted/stray cats. I even collected food from donations and fed colony cats when I could. Then my health prevented me from doing a lot of what I needed to physically, but seeing someone else show others that it's the little things that help as well as big gestures is just so heartwarming. I hope others see Rachel and Jun doing this and also feel like they should do what they can to help out in their own communities.
I love seeing these videos because they remind me that my family isn't the only one who chooses to look after neighbourhood cats :D. We have 10 cats that like visiting our backyard each day for food and some even stay to relax. Thank you for posting these videos, you're both such caring, amazing people, as well as your neighbours. :>
what a beauty of a cat! I work as a vet tech in Canada and I love seeing how vet care works in other countries. Thank you for caring for this sweet soul!
You guys are angels for taking care of the stray cats! So many people wouldn't try to bring them to the vet. It's sad that he was stressed out during his captivity, but he will hopefully have a better life now that he's fixed and got the conjunctivitis treated!
If the two of you decide to help the feral cat population regularly, you might want to invest in a large enclosure like a big dog kennel or multilevel cat house. You can use a carrying crate with a swinging door inside it, so when you need to get them out you can shut and barricade them in the crate by putting a broom handle through the bars of the kennel. If the crate's left in there for a long while they'll usually adopt it as their hiding place.
Aww. My sister's kitty also has FIV, but she's still a happy and healthy kitty after almost 3 years since she was adopted. As long as the cat is kept indoors mostly, they should be fine.
Keeping them indoors can be tricky tho if they have never been accustomed to that… plus if it’s contagious, then even if it were possible to transition the cat into an indoor cat, they would have to be kept away from any other cats in the household, in case they might fight and transmit it, no? 🤔
Aww poor baby. Thanks for getting him fixed. I hope one day he finds a home inside. FIV+ cats don’t live as long outside as inside because of their compromised immune system. But sometimes you just have no choice with feral kitties
So glad you’re still part of the initiative to fix strays - cats do so much damage to local wildlife, but stray cats only become a major issue if they can reproduce. Best wishes to you and your new bonus cat friend :)
It's really nice to hear that there's a community of people who genuinely care for the strays, every person who gives their help to a stray cat makes a large difference
My Schmubsy who I adopted last year is FIV+ (actually you can see him on my channel), he got treated for conjunctivitis and I have to adjust his diet to suit his liver. But overall he's a healthy happy boy and so good! Hopefully Tombo might be able to live a long healthy life too. How wonderful you were able to feed and neuter him!
Horray! Another little ball of fluff to join the Rachel and Jun family! It’s so cute!!! So glad you two have been taking care of him and I love his name! Dragonflies symbolise change, transformation, and adaptability! Hope you and this new cat get along well 💗
Hmm you have a point there! Tombo may still be a free cat, but I think it was nice of Rachel and Jun to seek medical attention and try to make him comfortable nonetheless, even though he isn’t quite family :)
they're also pretty giant insects so it's a great name for such a big boy. Hopefully he will be less defensive and bullying now that he's fixed, if so it will also likely help him live longer as he's less likely to get an infected wound which wouldn't be good with his FIV!
Japan doesn’t have much adoption centers mostly just pet stores. And I really wanna adopt a cat rather than shop. It would be rlly cool if you guys can capture and put these homeless cat up for adoption.
As lovely as that would be, a lot of stray cats are unfortunately feral and cannot be tamed. TNR(Trap, Neuter, Return) is the best thing we can do a lot of the time for these cuties, as they would be happiest in their original setting.
Try contacting some local rescue groups! TNR groups often find cats that are pregnant: they then keep the mom around until the babies are weaned and then let her return to her colony after being spayed. The kittens are then socialized and adopted out.
Yay! Congratulations on the successful use of your cat room and TNR! Your neighborhood should make a wall profile of all the kitties and their names that live in the area. It would be a fun thing to do.
This reminds me of a neighborhood cat that likes to wander around, she’s not a stray, she’s just happy outdoors and her owners are very aware of her wandering habits and always make sure she’s well fed and spayed. She’ll come down to our door for some treats and water, chill between our flower pots in the shade, then head out on her way. You’re not only an amazing pet owner, but an amazing member of the community for caring for Tonbo/Dragonfly kitty and making sure he’s neutered to curb the cat population. Everyone remember to neuter/spay your pets please!
No one ahould have to neauter or spay (if theyre going out the house definitely its for safety of the cata not fighting and no more strays) i left my dog and cat alone so i can eventually take care of their babies (maybe not *all* of them depending how many they have but theyll go to a good home) but its not a nevessary thing. They should if theyre outdoor but still not needed
@@flameepidemic4839 By spaying/neutering your pets, it can curb unwanted behaviors like aggression and urine marking, along with the population of feral and strays in your area. It’s also been proven to expand their lifespan, as it curtails their instinct to roam and reduces their chances of certain cancers. While it is your choice not to spay/neuter your animals, it can greatly improve their life and can give owners peace of mind knowing their pets are safe. All three of my cats have been spayed and neutered (two males, one female) and I can say that having this done has improved their lives and mine in the chance they end up sneaking outside, which they all have done. All this information has been taken from The Humane Society of The United States if you’d like to see it for yourself.
@@SapphicPixel There's negative effects of castration as well, the change of hormones will mess up their social interactions, especially the hierarchy of groups of strays, possibly leading to fights as well. Pets will have a higher risk to become overweight as they move less. While it reduces the risk for some cancers it increases the risk for others, actually leading to an overall increase in cancer risk. I would always prefer sterilization, as it prevents babies without messing up the animal's hormone balance.
there's no such thing as an outdoor cat that's good outdoors. it's infuriating to see ignorant cat owners who don't realize that free roaming is essentially neglect!
@@OrganicTrash Up until a certain age I didn't even know there were indoor-cats and thought it was weird in the beginning, since it is so common in my country and area for cats to roam outdoors. Especially since we live rural. Outdoor cats choose to be outside, they are not neglected. They get food, water and cuddles as well.~ They may stay inside as long as they want just as outside. There's an outdoor-cat in my neighborhood which started visiting sometimes, whenever my bf would go out for a smoke. Since he doesn't smoke anymore, he catches up on us, when we walk around the neighborhood and goes home with us. Actually runs ahead and then waits for us at the front door. Then he'll chill with us for some time and leave as soon as he want to. As long as he's there, the door is always open, so he can leave whenever he wants. He's thicc, so not neglected at all.
Oh I love love love kitties. I moved to a house with a giant Feral Colony and made it my part time job to TNR. I bought 5 traps, got licensed and began. We had a community clinic where you could get them Spay/Neuter plus Rabies shot if you were a licensed trapper, free. I would trap on Sundays, drop them at the clinic Monday and go to work. Pick them up after work and feed and water and set them free the next day. I did a total of 47 in my neighborhood. Also, went to different areas when asked, and TNR more. I moved 400 miles away, but saved many babies from being born. It is so worth it! Seven of the kitties actually moved with me. Thank you so much! One life at a time ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Tonbo actually looks so much like the big "scary" black cat in Chi's Sweet Home Manga/Anime series! I always loved that cats face but didn't think I'd ever seen an actual cat look like that until now. Must be a Japanese cat thing lol Love how you and all your neighbors care for the cats and I'm so glad you helped big Tonbo-chan out.
Such an angry boi😂 poor baby must've been so confused. Awesome to see you and all the neighbours caring for the stray kitties. Getting them fixed and stuff.
I'm just so glad he is still being treated well like the rest of the stray cats. Here in the US and quite a few other countries black cats and black dogs are being rejected or mistreated. There is still this illogical connection in people minds with black animals that shocks me in this day and age. Thank you guys for doing what you can to help and protect these sweet animals who didn't choose this life for themselves.
I love this. I wonder if the cats tell each other that that's the suburb that's cat friendly and it's a safe area for them. Imagining them telling their friends, "if you need food or butt scratches that's the place to go" Living there is like a Disney fantasy but with cats. Love love
Imagine them telling their friends, "Stay away from that neighborhood! I went there, got kidnapped drugged, probed, and I dunno what else happened to me! Look at my ear!"
Some cat owners claimed that if you told the strays to 'tell my cat to actually come home on time today' the cat will actually come home on time. I mean it is a community of some sort, cats know each other at least to recognize whose area it is. They are territorial creatures.
Tonbo looks a lot like my boy Bear, who also has a similar backstory (a former stray). Maybe he’s my boy’s long lost cousin. 😂 Also as always love what you guys do. TNR really is a lifesaver for cats who cannot be acclimated.
I had a big black cat too and his name was Teddy. Kind of funny how yours had the other half of his name basically. He sadly passed away last year but I strongly believe that just like us humans all cats are connected in some way to each other. Somewhere far far down the line at least. My Teddys dad was another huge black cat called Susi, Susi was a stray but my Teddy wasn't. We got him "secondhand" when he was 4 years old but as we know the people who had him before we know his entire life story from the day he was born.
I love watching this. I've got 3 ferals i feed that a year ago literally wouldn't get near any human; nowadays they'll let me pick them up and even come meet people i'm talking to. I've still got to take the one male in to get him fixed (waiting for a good month, money wise) but the girls are fixed and it's so cute to walk through the yard and have them and my chickens follow me around. Only one of my neighbors is even a little cat friendly, so they're in my yard all the time and i adore them and have made it clear to all the neighbors that they're mine and i will not be pleased if they get hurt, so they're much safer than they used to be. They even are learning to stand up to my dog, who's another rescue and a cat chaser but won't hurt them luckily. It's just so nice seeing other people taking care of all these strays that were caused by humans in the first place!!!
Oh gosh he looks just like my Obi-wan! Strays are unusual here, and Obi'd been hanging around more and more, then he started sneaking in the house, and it got so frequent I did as you did- Capture, de-ball and vacc. I kept him in as he wouldn't be cared for as a community cat like Tonbo and his friends are. I introduced him to my cat properly, and he lives with us officially now! Thankyou for gently trap-neuter-releasing Tonbo-chan, that is the happiest outcome for him! Maybe he'll come make friends with you one day. I hope so!
im glad your neighborhood is accepting of all the cats! we dont have any community cats in my neighborhood (only some outdoor cats), so it's nice to see how dedicated people are to them. getting him fixed reminded me of a relative (can't remember exactly who), but she used to feed all the strays in her neighborhood and took most of them to get fixed. definitely not fun for the cat but it's so important and i'm glad the boy is doing alright
you both did a wonderful thing..I also captured cats in the past to get them fixed, but when i try to recapture them they are smart and remember, and wont go near the trap anymore :(
you guys are awesome for still caring for Tombo and keeping an eye on him, even when your neighbors aren't fond of him. im sure if you still give him food/water, he'll come to appreciate you more and know that you helped him in some way. you guys rock!
My goodness, he is a dead ringer for my handsome tom who emigrated from the US to UK with me. I fostered (and eventually adopted) an FIV who had eye problems every few months - there is a flavoured supplement which helps their immune system and you give it daily. Really great of you guys to do this.
I love the fact you guys are so passionate about helping the local stray cats and making their lives better. I'm not sure if I'm correct in saying, but it seems like japanese people as a whole have a respect for cats and looking out for them which I think is awesome.
Japan's stray cat problem is quite sad. I remember seeing so many dehydrated and sickly looking kitties during my time there. In the UK, strays are very rare and if one does appear, there's more than enough people or institutions who will give it a home.
She is doing what she can do, and honestly what most people wouldn’t even try to do. Even though she can’t fix a whole country’s problem, she does her part. Fixing him was very good. And hopefully more cats will get fixed, which is a practical solution.
Ah not criticising Jun/Rachel at all, they're doing a wonderful thing and good on them! Criticising the Government. There's also a sad culture in the country with animal breeding and how they're sold. So many pet shops with them crammed in small cages being oggled at. Again in the UK, many animals are acquired from shelters and specialist breeders. The rules seem stricter to reduce animal neglect.
Poor little guy!!! Seeing all the discharge from his eye broke my heart. But thank you for talking a bit about cats with FIV; we had a whole room of them in the cat shelter I volunteered at [in Canada, I'm a Canadian lady] for around one year. They seldom ever got adopted because people didn't understand FIV and thought they'd die soon, but they were some of the sweetest cats in the whole place and getting along just fine. Many of them were cats that got dumped because they somehow got FIV and it's really sad. But they were such sweethearts, always looking for love. And a lot of them were huge...... and I mean HUGE.... Tonbo would fit right in on that front lol
I wonder if my memory got a little fuzzy, but when I was around 7 or 8, a black cat used to visit our house. We already had big cats, but he was.....the size of a young panther. I remember him passing by our table and you could see his ears. I still wonder to that day what exactly he was, short haired giant maine coon?
