A few weeks ago, my neighbor Mrs. Sakuai was moving out, so I went to say hello. Mrs. Sakuai is probably in his late 70s. Her older husband passed away a year ago, and the couple has no children. So she said she would move to her hometown to live with her younger sister.

Mrs. Sakuai’s husband loved cats and would neuter and spay stray cats and feed them.

After her husband passed away, I started to distance myself from Mrs. Sakuai’ house. When I opened the front door, the strong smell of cat markings became unpleasant for me.

But a few weeks before Mrs. Sakuai moved out, I went to say hello.

“What will happen to all those cats?”

“I don’t know! They’re not my cats! They’re strays! I only have enough food for two days, so that’s it!”

I didn’t know much about cats, so I didn’t understand the situation.

I wondered what would happen to the cats, so I watched the cats around Sakurai’s house every day. I felt something from one, so I decided to take care of her. When I told Mrs.Sakurai, she was very happy and said, “I’m grateful for even just one cat. I was worried that if I didn’t watch over this cat, other cats would take its food because she is calm so I was worried,” and clasped her hands together and said, “Thank you” over and over again.

I named her Lyra.

“What will happen to all those cats?”

“I don’t know! They’re not my cats! They’re strays! I only have enough food for two days, so that’s it!”

I didn’t know much about cats, so I didn’t understand the situation.

I wondered what would happen to the cats, so I watched the cats around Sakurai’s house every day. I felt something from one, so I decided to take care of her. When I told Sakurai, she was very happy and said, “I’m grateful for even just one cat. I was worried that if I didn’t watch over this cat, other cats would take its food because she is calm so I was worried,” and clasped her hands together and said, “Thank you” over and over again.

I named her Lyra.

The cat is a female, and Sakurai’s husband had her spayed and neutered before she died, her ears cut into the shape of a cherry blossom.

Apparently, stray cats that have been spayed or neutered have their ears cut and are called Sakura cats. Cherry Blossoms

I tried to capture Lyra and keep her in my house, but Lyra, who was in a cage, turned the litter box over several times every day, probably due to stress. People get used to her after a few weeks, so you shouldn’t let her out, or maybe cats have their own community because other cats come to the front door and talk to Lyra (it seems).

After much deliberation, I let Lyra out of the cage.

The next day, Lyra sat in front of the front door at around 6 am and 6 pm.

I learned that cats have something like an internal clock, and they remember the people who feed them and the houses they live in.

I decided to wait and see how she would do for a while.

The difference in Mr. S’s reaction when I mentioned cats and when I said I would take care of Lyra gave me a glimpse into Mr. S’s relationship with the neighbors in this area regarding cats. I then started to learn that cats had been a huge problem in this neighborhood for years.