October at JCNI: Long journeys and soft landings
Halloween edition · 神無月 · October 2026
Dear fellow cat lover, Halloween has come and gone, and October brought us cats from all over Japan. A kitten from an Okinawa roadside, a little survivor from a Tokyo parking lot, and four tiny kittens who needed us in a hurry. Here is what your kindness made possible this month.
This month’s tale
From Parking Lot to Purring: Tonchi’s Rescue
Tonchi was initially reported by tourists, as a cat in distress in an Ikebukuro parking lot. She was malnourished, had an injured leg, and was living without access to shelter from the elements, other than under the parked cars. She cried at passersby for food. JCNI tried to help with a rescue plan, but Tonchi could not be caught quickly before the tourists left.
Even after returning home, the tourists continued to reach out on behalf of Tonchi. We assisted with a second attempt, and this time it was successful thanks to calling in Nekokaramesen. Tonchi was evaluated by our vet and went to a temporary foster in Tokyo. Then she came to our Kyoto program. She was quite nervous at first, but she soon warmed up. She is loving attention along with good food.
From Okinawa to Tokyo
Kinme, the well-travelled kitten
While on a business trip to Okinawa, one of our volunteers spotted a young kitten in a desperate situation. She was near a vending machine by a busy road, with nothing but a towel and a cardboard box. It was clear she needed help, and just to make sure, she ran right up to our volunteer and asked for it.
Caring for a kitten while working and staying somewhere with no pets allowed took creativity and determination. Our volunteer found a vet to check her over, then a pet hotel for the rest of the trip. From there, Kinme flew to Osaka to meet her JCNI foster mom.
She’s doing great in foster, and she’s already quite the traveller. Born in Okinawa, she has stayed in a hotel, flown on a plane, ridden a train, a taxi and two buses, and she now lives in an apartment in Tokyo.
Follow Kinme’s journey: Watch on Instagram
More tales from the shelter
Megu rehome
Megu was a single young kitten reported by tourists in Osaka. These tourists really went the extra mile by coming to Kyoto and helping to care for Megu as well as other kittens in our nursery. Megu went to a trial home this month, in a home with another kitty. While we were a bit concerned about how Megu might settle into a new situation, given the fact that she was one of our most cautious kittens, she settled in amazingly well. She charmed her new guardian as well as the new cat in her home, and is living her best loved life.
Four TNR kittens rescued
Local TNR volunteer and rescuer @Sippinosakippo reached out about a TNR project area with four young kittens in bad health. All were under 750 grams. This is sadly very common, because cats living on the streets have no vaccines and no steady food supply.
It’s also a common dilemma for project managers. With so few shelters, and surgery on young, sick kittens so dangerous, the only choice is often to risk the surgery or leave them out and spay/neuter when (if) they get older. We believe accepting kittens in these cases is essential, valuable welfare work. Their mama cat was spayed and released, bringing the sad cycle of suffering kittens in her area to a close.
The timing wasn’t the best for us, but a JCNI foster stepped in on an emergency basis, and we stretched a little further. The kittens were frightened and sick at first, but they’ve recovered in leaps and bounds and are becoming more social every day.
We’re looking for a foster-to-adopt home until they’re big enough to be spayed and neutered.
Sukka’s fight with FIP
As we mentioned last month, our Osaka kittens have had ongoing health challenges, and none more than Sukka. When we brought her back to the vet, he finally recommended treating her for FIP.
The test was inconclusive, but she has responded very well to the medication. She regained her energy right away and is doing so much better.
The hard part now is the cost: FIP medication must be given daily for around three months, and her full treatment will cost about $1,100. We know she’s worth it, but we’re already overstretched, so we need all the help we can get.
Kitten Nursery Catio opened and improved
Our nursery kittens are growing bigger and needed more space, so we opened up their outdoor catio. We also added a cat tower with baskets and an outdoor bed.
The bed turned out bigger than expected for the space, and after setting it up we decided to take it out. The kittens quickly decided otherwise. As far as they’re concerned, it’s the perfect size.
Aki in Aichi
Part of our work is connecting people with the resources they need to rescue cats and bring them home. Aki was one such case this past month: international students who had been feeding her reported that she was sick.
We put the students in touch with TNR Tokai, who helped catch Aki, get her to a vet, and lent supplies to start her off living indoors. Aki is settling in well and even has her own Instagram.
Follow @akiino.ko for updates, and our partners @TNRTokai to see the great work they’re doing for cats in Aichi.
A new VIP room
Jack is back with us in Kyoto, and our only free space was the quarantine room, which we call the VIP room. Tonchi soon joined him from Tokyo.
Both cats are socially challenged (Jack more than Tonchi), but we want a better life for them than tall cages. So we set the room up for free-roaming cats, adding our favorite big cat tower and a comfy chair and ottoman we found second-hand.
So far, Jack loves his new spots. Instead of hiding away in the tower, he spends most of his time curled up out in the open on the comfy chair.
Save the date · Giving Tuesday
December 1, 2026
Kittens like Sukka are exactly why our Giving Tuesday campaign matters. It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year, and the funds raised carry much of our medical and food costs for the months ahead.
Could you be a matching donor?
We’re looking for supporters willing to match donations up to a set amount, doubling every gift that comes in on the day. Just get in touch.
After Halloween
Black cats are everywhere in October decorations, then quietly overlooked the rest of the year. They often wait longest for a home. If you’re thinking of adopting, please give our black cats a second look.
Treats for the shelter
What our cats need most
- CIAO bonito cans (85g cases) most needed
- CIAO lactic acid bonito cans (85g cases) most needed
- CIAO kitten cans (85g cases) most needed
- Iris Ohyama zeolite cat litter always welcome
Order straight from our Amazon Japan wishlist and it ships directly to the shelter, the best kind of trick-or-treat.
恩
Be someone’s good spirit this season.
Sukka’s daily FIP medication, Kinme’s vet visit and pet hotel in Okinawa, Tonchi’s care after the parking lot, and an emergency foster for four tiny TNR kittens. This month, all of it was carried by supporters like you. If you’re able, a gift today helps us keep saying yes to the next call.
ありがとう
To everyone who gave in October
Every gift, large or small, became something real: a catio bed the kittens refused to give up, a comfy chair for Jack, a safe trip home for Kinme. Megu is living her best life in a new home, and Sukka is getting stronger every day because of you. From every one of us, and every purring one of them, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Happy (belated) Halloween, from all of us
and all of them.
The Japan Cat Network family
For day-to-day news from JCN, follow along on Instagram. Follow @japancatnetwork on Instagram