Loading...

Jun 26, 2018

Getting a Cat

I was curious if anyone was has gotten a cat in Japan. I am planning on getting a cat, but there are not as many shelters in Japan as America. I want to hear any tips.

ReishiiTravels

ReishiiTravels

Teacher, Traveler, Dancer -
Currently living in Gifu -
I love Japan, dance, cats, food, and fashion!

5 Answers



Best Answer

  • genkidesu

    on Jun 27

    The main place I knew of when living in Tokyo was Ark (http://www.arkbark.net/en/) who did animal adoption. However since you're in Aichi, there's apparently a place in Nagoya... Nagoya City Animal Welfare Shelter 2-106 Peace Park, Chikusa Ku, Nagoya City, Aichi 052-762-0380 Might be worth a shot to see with them if they do animal rehoming! Best of luck - I've definitely found that there's less adoption centers here than what I'm used to back home as well.

    1
  • Lyssays

    on Jun 27

    Good for you! There are so many cats in need in Japan and not enough people wanting to adopt from shelters. I'm not sure about shelters in your area, but you could try asking Japan Cat Network. While they have their own shelter (in Fukushima), they provide loads of advice and support about cat-related things for everyone in Japan who is interested in them, and their knowledge goes far beyond their local area. It's all in English and they have a Facebook group. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/japancatnetwork/ Website: https://japancatnetwork.org/

    1
  • helloalissa

    on Jun 27

    Definitely not as many pet shelters as back home, but it's worth the research if you've seen how much pets are in pet shops. I've been asked if I want a cat from owners who have kittens, so you could ask around & check on classifieds. If there's a veterinarian office nearby, you could always ask them to let you know when they have kittens available too.

    1
  • BigfamJapan

    on Jul 5

    I don't know of anywhere in Aichi, but I do know that there are some rescue cat cafes where you can go visit the cats and build a relationship with one (or more) then bring them home if you've developed a rapport. Our local cat cafe (Kawagoe) is one of those. We unfortunately can't get a cat due to my DH's allergies, but I bring the kids there to play with cats sometimes. :-)

    1
  • Kohaku

    on Nov 1

    Check your local or prefecture newspaper. Mine has a little "ad" for an adoptable pet every single day. Usually a cute picture, the animal's name, and a little blurb about them. I had a cat for a while, but ended up having to find her a new home. I lived in a really rural town with a lot of strays in the neighborhood. Having an un-spayed female cat in my house drew in a lot of tomcats that would prowl around and howl all night long...

    0

Awaiting More Answers

3 Answers

Golden Week 2026 plans?

Are you venturing beyond your prefecture this time? Or sticking close to home? I'm planning on some day trips in my region, Kanto, as I'm committed to work on the Thursdays and Fridays that some people can take off.

TonetoEdo

on Apr 25

5 Answers

Your 2026 food omiyage / souvenir picks?

I know this question has probably been asked several times in the past, but it is also the kind of question to which the answer changes frequently! So, I am curious - what are your top food souvenir picks for 2026? I am going home again soon, and I want to get food omiyage for several people, including the school where my son is about to finish a one-year exchange. I would love to hear your thoughts on the BEST Japanese food omiyage around this year! And / or the food omiyage you buy each and every time you are going home because it's always a big hit? I just had the photo in this post to hand, and it is not a recommendation per se, it's not bad and fits well into a suitcase, but it's not the best strawberry daifuku I ever had.

BigfamJapan

on Apr 24

5 Answers

What's your favorite 'kushiyaki'?

Just for fun; what type of skewered food do you like best in Japan? Or, if you feel like sharing, what are your top 3?

BigfamJapan

on Apr 11

2 Answers

Movie locations near you worth visiting?

The live action version of テルマエ・ロマエ Thermae Romae (2012) was shot at Nokogiriyama, Kyonan Town, Chiba Prefecture. It's one of my favourite getaways for hiking, the temple complex, and catching sea breezes. The movie is hilarious and heartwarming. Which Japanese live-action movies do you recommend, and are the filming locations worth a visit? Tell us the original title, English title, the year, and the location.

TonetoEdo

on Mar 23

4 Answers

Recent vending machine discoveries?

I always get a little kick out of finding a vending machine that dispenses something other than drinks or ice-cream. I have been seeing an increase in vending machines that sell religious items lately. I also like finding vending machines with unusual or attractive wrapping. Have you come across any unusual vending machines lately? Either vending machines that sell something other than the norm or a vending machine with eye-catching wrapping?

BigfamJapan

on Mar 21

5 Answers

What are our consumer rights in Japan?

Do you know your consumer rights in Japan? And if so, would you be willing to share anything about them? For example, what is the policy on returns? I am very familiar with my consumer rights in my home country, and they are very widely publicized back home, but information doesn't seem to be as transparent or readily available here. Or is that just me?

BigfamJapan

on Mar 15

17 Answers

What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture?

Today, February 20th, is Ehime Prefecture Day. What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture, what is the very first thing that comes to mind when I say "Ehime Prefecture"!?

BigfamJapan

on Feb 20

8 Answers

Do you have a favorite mascot?

The other day, on "Strawberry Day" I wrote about "Yoshimin", the strawberry mascot of Yoshimi. I thought it might be fun to introduce a few others, so I've just written about "Tokimo" the mascot of Kawagoe. And I plan to introduce a couple of my favorites. It begs the question, do you have a favorite mascot? And how about writing a post on City-cost about your favorite or a local mascot? Pictured "Umerin" who I plan to write about next!

BigfamJapan

on Jan 17

7 Answers

Growing Mushrooms

Here's for a weird hobby. I just saw a video by an American Youtuber that I plan to watch about growing shiitake mushrooms. From what I've seen, it probably needs a bit of space. There was a local market in Fukuoka Prefecture that had a "mushroom room" where they grew and sold mushrooms like maitake and eringi. I also saw a video of a couple in Paris that built a mushroom growing shower room! The local hardware store sells "seeded" logs and shiitake mushroom growing kits. I have seen the logs around people's homes on occasion. It seems like a very odd, but sustainable hobby. Has anyone tried it, or is anyone interested to try this? I wonder how involved or beginner friendly it is.

helloalissa

on Dec 29

6 Answers

Hair Color Treatments for Greying Hair

For those of you who have colored grey hair, I'm curious about the hair color treatments available in most drugstores. They seem simpler to use than box dyes. It's been many years since I've colored my hair. It's a chestnut brown and my grey is more silver. I don't hate it but the grey is dry and making me feel like I look older than I am. I'm especially interested in the natural brands that are non-permanent. For example Rishiri Kombu sounds like a decent option. Looking forward to your recommendations and experience.

helloalissa

on Aug 3

7 Answers

Entrance ceremony clothes

Soon my kid will have his entrance ceremony at school, and I'm looking for those typical Japanese style ceremony clothes for myself. I'm 1.80m, not so skinny woman, which has huge problems to even find normal clothes in Japan. Does anybody have the same problem and might have any advice, where to get those ceremony clothes in a taller size?

BlueButterfly

on Feb 17

14 Answers

What shampoo brand do you recommend for dandruff?

I have been dealing with this dandruff situation for quite a while now and I still can't seem to figure out how to get rid of this problem. I have tried several shampoo brands/products like head and shoulders, ANGFA organic shampoo and the Honey Deep Moist Shampoo. And none of them worked so far. Some say it's because of hot shower. Well I do shower every day, but I don't use hot shower all the time. I rinse my hair thoroughly after applying shampoo and conditioner. I also tried applying shampoo every other day just to make my hair less dry but I still none of those tricks are working. If there is a product that you recommend that suits every man's budget then I would appreciate it so much.

Ekimsaido

on Jun 15