Memories of Yacchan and Asachan

July 30, 2024

Twenty years ago, two cats came to our home: Yacchan and Asachan. Initially, there was only Yacchan, but since he seemed so lonely alone, we bought Asachan from a nearby pet shop. Yacchan was bought from a pet shop in Okayama, where our son lived. Both cats are Russian Blues, with coats ranging from black to gray. They were born around the same time, but Yacchan passed away four years ago at the age of 16, and Asachan passed away this March (2024) at the age of 19. He was expected to celebrate him 20th birthday in June.
Russian Blues are classified as musk cats, and even though they have never been bathed, they have a pleasant scent. It is beyond words to describe how adorable these cats were and how much happiness they brought to our home. This is probably true for every household with pets.
In the living room, there was a cat tower where Yacchan took the top tier, and Asachan took the middle tier. One day, Yacchan underwent neutering surgery, and after that, Asachan took the top tier. When Asachan was neutered, the positions swapped again. From then on, Yacchan remained on the top tier as the elder cat, surveying the living room.
Yacchan was extremely jealous, and whenever I showed any affection to Asachan, Yacchan's green eyes seemed to become even greener. They say "green-eyed" is used to describe jealousy in English. When Yacchan was alive Asachan was reserved and quiet, but after Yacchan had gone, he became very clingy, wanting to be held by my wife almost all day. We even considered buying a baby carrier strings for him.
Nowadays, pet funeral services have become common. When I call them, someone arrives dressed in a tuxedo-like outfit and glossy shoes, and they create vessels to hold the ashes of the two cats. The ashes are kept in our room, so it feels like they are still with us, or perhaps they are watching over us from heaven.

To those who share similar feelings, even though it's a bit lonely, let’s continue to live happily!
Today, I’ve shared memories of our two beloved cats.