Job Discussion Forums

space · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 44 Location: japan

Hey all.

So there's a pretty good chance I'll be in Japan next year, JET Program or not.

I really want to get a cat. I'm holding off now becuase of the potential move.

Is there anyone out there who moved to Japan recently, and then got a feline? How did it work/is it working out?

I would in no way consider bringing a pet over. If I lived in Japan for only a couple of years do you think I would bring one back? Maybe then, getting one is a bad idea.

Thoughts?

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

a great many apartments (i.e. almost all) forbid you from having a dog or cat while staying in them. Still, many people do. We did and if you do you might well, as we were, be landed with a bill of about $1500 for 'damage done by a pet' when we left. That stung a bit. Sure, the cat did a bit but nowhere near that much.

If your employer is providing the apartment this may cause problems with them. Ours was fine about it (happy to send us the bill when we'd left in other words). Yours might prevent it outright or insist you get rid of it once you've got it.

other than that, we loved our cat who was a stray.

Nismo · Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 520

We discussed this at length a month ago, among other things in the same thread:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=17445&highlight=cats

That should answer your questions.

space · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 44 Location: japan

Thanks guys.

Nismo: I looked for that very thread before I posted, I swear Wink

space · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 44 Location: japan

I was more interested in knowing what it was like to get one there. I couldn't care less about transporting pets, cuz they are going to stay in whatever country I care for them in.

Nismo · Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 520

I've only ever seen little yappy dogs for sale at places like Loft. I hate those little yappy runt dogs, but that seems to be the only kind of dog that fits in most Japanese homes. I've never seen cats for sale, but I have never actually been to a real petstore in Japan.

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

hamel · Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 95

nismo,

i found a little female pug almost collapsed with hunger last spring and was able to keep her for several months before my wife made me give her up. i was really surprised at how clever and almost human like this little dog was. and i'm a cat person who loves animals of all sorts.
and it never barked except making this strange little sound when playing with my kids.

you guys in japan are lucky that cats are actually domestic and cared for. here in korea they are mostly feral and only very rarely would you come across a tame cat out of doors. i talk to the wild cats a lot though.

hamel

Nismo · Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 520

spidey · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 6:41 am Post subject:

hamel · Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 95

actually spidey,

korea has been changing a lot in that regard. dogs are now very popular pets and fewer folks eat dog (very few actually). i just hope the dogs are cared for over the long term. it is amazing how many koreans just love dogs now. i love cats however, so wild cats aren't easy to accept, but i suppose it is to control the rodent population. yes, korea has many down sides.

seen any korean traditional dogs in japan? it is very ferocious and super smart and loyal to its master. i've had one as as a friend for nearly eight years. he is bi-lingual actually. called "jin doe kay(dog)" roughly--from a small island in the south west region. quite large with powerful jaws and a warm coat and well built. tan or white color usually. i love animal related threads, thanks.

J. · Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 327

If you live anywhere rural there will be tons of stray cats. Just put a dish of cat food out on your porch and they will come. They may not stick around and you may not be able to pat them or have them inside but you will probably be able to watch them a bit and if you are gentle and the cat not too wild after awhile it MAY allow you to get closer. People here will tell you not to feed wild cats because they would rather they not reproduce but it's hard to let them starve. If you are really responsible you will have the cat neutered. If you leave you don't have to take the cat; probably it will forage around the neighborhood, but if you have another teacher coming, you could try to persuade them to keep taking care of it. We have rescued 2 at our place, but it's a house. One cat lives in the large back porch and outdoors; the other is an outdoor cat--he won't come in. But he has gradually allowed me to pat him a bit and he sleeps in a cosy box with a blanket on the veranda in my back garden. He always lets me know when he's hungry; he meows until I feed him.

nawlinsgurl · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:58 pm Post subject:

Find a friend (American) who lives on or near a military base. You can get some of the cutest, trained pets for free or really cheap when soliders get deployed to another place. Often people try to give them up and they end up getting killed b/c no one will take them. Usually the pets will come with shots and meds (if not request they do this) it is usually cheap or free for the military. Bases in Japan, as far as I know are:

-Yokosuka (Navy) in Yokosuka City
-Yokota (Air Force) in Fussa City
-Iwakuni (Marine) in Hiroshima
-Kadena in Okinawa
-Camp Zama (Army) near Yokohama
-Atsugi (Navy) in Sagamino

You can get an awesome pet for cheap or free and rescue it from being put to sleep. I have adopted two dogs this way and have helped friends find numerous pets also. Very Happy

space · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 44 Location: japan

I like J's philosophy, personally.

I've done similar things with dogs in my neighborhood who didn't have tags. Usually they turn out to be owned by people on the same block who I haven't met yet, and days later they see their dog hanging out with me ^_^
One whimpered so convincingly, like it really needed hope. Later, the owner informed me that her dog has made a habit of befriending suckers for free meals Razz

lahermit · Joined: 27 Dec 2004 Posts: 8 Location: Brazil

I was living in Japan for several years and I brought my cat back with me to Los Angeles. She was given a simple exam for rabies at Kansai Airport. I was quite worried that I would have trouble with quarantine at LAX. (I didn't get her the rabies vaccine.) We went by Korean Air, with her in cabin, underneath the chair. They put us in the very last row in the back of the plane, next to the toilet. One good thing, the plane was packed, but oddly the seat next to me was empty. At LAX, after going through immigration, some airport guy told me where quarantine was. I went there knocked on the door, no one was there. So the airport guy told me to just try to go on through customs without any check. I did and was only asked what sort of creature I had in the box. Told him and that was that.