The Unexpected Story of How I Got My Cat in Japan

[@ChaniJapan]

Any spring roll ideas? 🥢The Japan Cat Network helps with rehoming, adoptions, TRN and so much more. 😸Check out their website for more information and ways you can help support their program. www.japancatnetwork.org/

[@CamiloMacaya]

You can make a really good dessert one. Fill it with banana or a fried very ripe plantain and dark chocolate. Sprinkle with a little powered sugar and an optional side-dip of condensed milk. Yes, it’s very high calorie but it is divine. Worthy of a special occasion. 😂 🎉 PS: Millie is adorable ❤

[@strumminronin]

I break all rules with this: Pizza toppings. It's fiddly but worth the trouble.

[@susanma4899]

@@strumminronin Mmm, I can imagine cheese, banana pepper, mushrooms, and sausage!

[@chefevielee]

Extra large round rice paper wet till playable. Filled with julienne carrots & cucumbers very thin sliced napa cabbage very thin sliced sweet onion green onion tops. Toss produce in peanut sauce the amount that's to your taste. Place in center of rice paper. Then add poached shrimp. Wrap as normal

[@roshanshrestha3836]

Finally a vlog dedicated to Millie..I didn't know that Millie was this big. Thank you for adopting Millie. She's worth it.❤❤❤

[@sim-one]

Ragdolls are usually very loooong😸

[@tundesz178]

My 2 cats were abandoned by their mother in my garden. It took me weeks to gain their trust. They were full of fleas and were very thin. I wanted to put them up for adoption, but until I gained their trust and nursed them to health they got too big. Now they are my babies, alarm clocks, anti depressants. I love them so much. ❤

[@IzzyOnTheMove]

Awww poor Millie!! Thanks for sharing her story ❤she truly found her Mom! 💖

[@ClaireDaws-e4d]

I didn't realise how big she is! So glad you took her in before the inevitable happened. I hate to see animals sold like that in glass tanks in pet shops. It's cruel. They must be so lonely sat there. No socialisation etc. Her poor little nose too. She certainly fell on her paws when you came in that day. You definitely needed each other. ❤

[@shproperties9974]

She is a ragdoll ❤

[@lanieparker5730]

What a shocker! The idea that little miss beauty queen Millie would have had such a fractious start! So glad you two found each other, she is now a KZbin SuperStar! Love your channel.

[@Jillybean620]

Lucky Millie has found a truly wonderful mom!

[@mamacat2049]

Thankfully for you Millie is living her best life.

[@yfllll]

I’ve heard about the trouble with foreigners trying to adopt cats in Japan from Rachel and Jun. Even though Jun is Japanese, they wouldn’t adopt to them out of fear they would move and abandon the cats. It’s a little unfair because I think most people will do anything they could to bring their cats with them. I know I would. I understand the fear though. I think the only way foreigners can get a cat in Japan is to either buy one or rescue a street cat. It was lovely to hear Millie’s background. I’m glad she had you to save her and she ended up being such a great kitty. Thanks for highlighting the Japan Cat Network! I foster cats in the US. I wonder if in Japan it’ll be easier to try fostering first and then possibly adopting a rescue.

[@wright85]

Millie is such a beautiful cat - full of life and personality. I loved hearing her story. Thankfully you came along and are giving her the best life she could have. You're a wonderful person and I love your channel. 😊

[@vividdreams7072]

Agreed ❤

[@snusmumrikan]

Me and my best friend rescued a kitten from Ikebukuro train station back in 2017 (I think) when we lived there together. We got help through Japan Cat Network and found a girl who could take him right away, and they became his furever home ❤ so they really do amazing work and are super helpful. Can't thank them enough!

[@catasintiger]

Love seeing Millie in your videos and that she is included in your adventures 💕

[@effie-Toronto]

Really nice video Chani you are amazing

[@katheriner9194]

Wow that's so interesting that they didn't want to let you adopt an older cat, but you could buy a kitten from a pet store 😅 I'm so glad you could still save/adopt Millie in a way by getting her, when no one else wanted her 🥰🎉

[@Katzenjammer82]

Millie is so gorgeous, very surprised to hear she was a pet shop reject! She's very lucky to have been able to join your Japanese adventure :)

[@NatsuN-x7y]

You and Millie both have such beautiful blue eyes 💞 What a lovely pair❤🎉ps love your new hair do😊

[@BethDoublekickChick]

I love this comment 💙

[@MyCrazyCastle]

Millie is beautiful and has a great personality. Thank you for being a great cat mom

[@ChaniJapan]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@ewm5487]

Millie is such a beauty! I'm also in Japan with 2 cats. What you did was a good thing. However, there's a terrible industry in Japan producing pets. What happens with cats that can't find an owner can't be imagined. They don't go to a shelter, it's much worse.😢

[@UnboundedArtandCrafts]

I like to use cucumber, mango or avocado, surimi, ginger and thin bean noodles in my spring rolls but I use the rice paper raw and dip the rolls in peanut saus 😊

[@aviewer9516]

Great video, Millie is very lucky to have you as her mom!

[@maisar4563]

Thank you for promoting animal rescuing! It sounds like there was a bit of that involved with Millie as well. She's such a cute, obviously well-loved kitty I love seeing on your videos 😍

[@Feli-b1b]

Millie is such a sweetheart! She was just waiting for you! 💝💝💝

[@debbie1247]

Fostering is how we became parents to our two cats. We are foster failures, don’t know what I was thinking that they would ever leave. Our boy is missing an eye and we worried no one would want him. Rag dolls grow for 4 years! Oh my, Millie’s going to be a big girl!

[@phantomb8832]

You and Millie are such a great match, enriching each other's lives. Shed a few tears of happiness when I realised what her fate may have been. Thank you for taking such good care of a perfect little star 🌟 ❤

[@mysticshining]

I love Miss Millie! and now I love her even more knowing her story. Very interesting, and even though you couldn't adopt, I think what you did is just as good ;) 💖

[@spankohyayo]

でっかい猫は最高に可愛いよね！

[@flashgordon6510]

Millie is so gorgeous! It was fate that you went into the pet shop that day. You two were meant to be together!

[@susanpasion226]

Thank you for sharing about Millie!! Beautiful story and beautiful cat. So great your son is taking care of the other cat. I am sure you still miss it.

[@hanabeewee]

Millie!!!! we love Millie shes such a cutie

[@じゃが天丼]

Thank you so much for your posting! Cute (Kawaii) Cat🐱☺

[@binchyaube7885]

Such a wonderful cat, I am glad you rescued her❤❤❤. Cold spring rolls: - ricepaper - salad, vegetables as carrots, sweet pepper or others, cut into pieces - fresh coriander - glass noodles - cooked or fried chicken Put everything or just the things you like in rice paper and roll it to spring roll. These rolls are not fried, you eat them cold, with dip of soysauce or other dips.

[@ChaniJapan]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@kirbyesque]

Thank you for your continued work and willingness to share your life experiences, and now Millie’s!

[@GayeWilliamson]

Our friend's mother went into care, so we got her cat. He's now 9kg and his hair is fluffy too. Being big, he can't groom everywhere, so he has to be clipped for hygienic reasons.! Great story on adopted cats, thanks

[@the23magic]

What a heart breaking story but with a happy ending. Did you know that saving an animal's life actually brings good luck/karma. ❤😊

[@lillianmvargaso4960]

❤Thank you- how lucky for the kitty and you. Very kind.

[@cordeliav3055]

It's lovely what you have done for Millie. You are truly blessed to have her for your forever companion. You say Millie's fur is like cotton wool. We have a rescue ragdoll crossed with a tortoiseshell, and she sometimes stretches out on her tummy with her legs out behind, much like a rabbit. Her fur is soooo soft!

[@B_archaeology]

Sitting with my rescued cats watching your wonderful vlog on Millie's back story, Chani. The shot of Millie stretched out in your arms is just adorable. What a beautiful and worthwhile act! So interesting getting a perspective on pets in Japan. Really enjoyed this one!

[@chris8330]

My story is similar! I’m American and lived in Melbourne for almost 10 years! I too wanted to have a white fluffy best friend, so I got MY Millie - a white golden retriever - from Ballarat, VIC. Now, 8.5 years later she’s still my best friend, asleep on the floor as we speak in our house in Washington, DC USA. Love your videos, thanks for making them!

[@diealexus]

Yes! I've been waiting for this! Love seeing Millie at the end of the videos!

[@ChaniJapan]

Millie is a character😀

[@diealexus]

@@ChaniJapan I also have a ragdoll boy named Lotor, and he's the light of my life. Ragdolls do have a really unique personality. Compared to his 'brother' Shiro, who's a persian, Lotor is much more curious and talks much more, haha

[@christymori1698]

Hi Chani, we adopted a Ragdoll at 13 years old and had a slew of health issues. Fin lived until 16 with us in the end. Millie makes me miss him! Your a wonderful Ragdoll career

[@christymori1698]

*mama not career haha

[@BeverlyMaloy]

What a wonderful cat mom you are, Chani! Have you considered taking Millie to the pet shop so everyone can see how well she is doing? She is so pretty!

[@TT-zv1oh]

Thank you for taking such good care of Millie! Love seeing her in your vids!

[@winglift8156]

Great job with Millie! Bless you both.

[@laurieb4439]

Sweet Millie and you were meant to be a family. I bet Chai provides your son a lot of joy and comfort; I hope they are both doing well My parents have always adopted rescued pets, so it's what I have done too. I have one spoiled cat at a time though, growing up I had a lot of different animals. My previous cat was very sick and had medical issues; I know if I had not adopted her no one would have because she needed 24/7 care for a quite awhile.

[@dk4255]

I love cats! Thanks for sharing Millie's story. Like you, my heart breaks when I find kittens in pet stores or any abandoned cats on the streets. Thanks for adopting her.

[@susanslingerland9393]

Love watching Millie ❤️❤️❤️ so glad you adopted her. She’s a gem

[@Sabricolate]

The cat distribution system worked its magic ♥️ so lovely you rescued Millie when nobody wanted this gorgeous girl 🥺🥹 When I lived in Japan the pet shops really broke my heart, and given how friendly the Japanese are, it was quite a culture shock for me to see how they handle pets sometimes - at least in Tokyo back then. They often seemed more of an accessory in a lot of cases 🥲 not sure that's the case in Wakayama as well? I rescued one of my cats from Dubai, and it was the best thing I've ever done. So glad Millie is living her best life now ♥️

[@toriashimoji]

I volunteered for JCN for a breif time when I lived in Tokyo! It was awesome to help out and take care of the kitties.

[@ChaniJapan]

I'm so glad to hear you volunteered for JCN, it's a great organization.

[@eunhyuekpark6159]

Ragdolls are such awesome cats! They are more like dogs and super chill. Great recipe at the end as well!

[@desleybartlett322]

Love hearing Millie's story. She is just one big fluff ball. 😂 Did not realise she was so big. Desley 🇦🇺

[@septartes]

Thank you for your story about how you got Millie!

[@EverydayKary]

Thanks for sharing your story about Millie! She’s one of my favorite things about your channel.

[@Marzumur]

So lovely to hear miss Millie’s story, she seems happy and well now!

[@Smithcraft1]

The video is only 8 minutes old and I'm still not the first commenter! Otherwise, I've been holding off getting a cat for years because of the long hours I spend at work, and then I was wondering about what the quarantine issues would be so this video was super informative for me! Thanks again Chani!

[@ChaniJapan]

Glad you found the video helpful! 🐈

[@theresevh]

you could get two, and a timing feeder!

[@ashextraordinaire]

Lucky Millie, and lucky you, Chani, that you found each other!

[@ShellyS2060]

Millie has a great personality, and you two are a great team!

[@chrssiem]

Oh such a beautiful video, and gorgeous little Millie is living her best life with you 💚💚

[@margjeweijdt1510]

Sweet Millie was meant to come to you, I'm sure of it. As for spring roll ideas? Anything vegetable would work for me as I'm vegetarian. But maybe some leftover curry and rice? Or maybe bulgogi?

[@vividdreams7072]

What a lovely video, such a happy ending for Millie ❤ . I love that she goes camping with you. What a great life you have together xx

[@valli_chenae]

That’s so sweet and you and Millie are a wonderful pair, so lucky to have one another! 😊

[@barbaram5214]

I smiled all of the way through this video. You are a wonderful cat mother to Millie. It is so great that she is able to go outside with you and she enjoys it so much.

[@Julie-Anne-x2w]

Thank goodness you found Millie

[@sarabolletta4446]

Wonderful to hear the back story about Millie. I too have taken pity on many cats over the years and adopted them. I currently have nine plus I also feed any neighbourhood cat that wonders into my garden. Cats definitely make great pets!

[@DemstarAus]

I think I've watched all your videos recently and wondered why there wasn't one about Millie! You read my mind!

[@miriam2909]

That’s really sweet. My cat is 15. She never used to eat much but in the last year or so she eats about 6 times a day.

[@SilasAppalachia]

Millie is a sweetheart. It is so cool she went with you on the 88

[@6666madmick]

What a lovely video and thank you for sharing your story with Millie😊

[@pennelightttt]

oh! you are so patient and loving training and teaching Millie. Such a lovely story. thanks for sharing this!

[@Cobrabat67]

How lovely to hear about the beautiful Millie and how she came to be with you. I just love Cats and their unique character. I was one of eight children and grew up with eight Cats because my animal loving Mum could never say no when one of us brought a stray one home. I'll try your spring roll recipe too, it looks tasty!

[@michelleshelby64]

Millie is such a beautiful cat it was surprising to see she was left on the shelf. She was waiting for you. She needed someone to really care for her. I’ve not long started the journey again with two new friends. The last two I had lived to 19 and 20. So great long lives. A commitment as you say. Love your content. It’s so interesting. I’ve always been drawn to the Japanese culture. I’m from Australia and it’s great to see your perspective.

[@KK868x]

Thanks for sharing sure Millie is enjoying life

[@helenvictoria8880]

Hi Chani, you’re an amazing Cat Mum! Millie is sooo lucky to have you 😻

[@Bearcub599]

This was such a heartwarming video 😻😻😻😻 So glad you found Millie! Obviously it was meant to be 🩷💚❤ As a cat owner myself, joy and love of feline companionship is something beyond compare! Wishing you and Millie a long happy life together xxx

[@lorrane2177]

❤Millie is the sweetest kitty.

[@KylieHarner]

Millie has gotten so big. She’s so cute! I love ragdoll cats and I want one of my own one day.

[@WorldsEliteDeatHaze]

Hi Chani, you mentioned that vet bills are pricey so you have pet insurance. I'm not sure how it is in Japan but I've read online that most of these policies are not worth it (you'd be better off investing the same money away over time) as they don't cover or cover only a fraction of costs. Just something to keep in mind, maybe read over the fine prints.

[@diannebayley4644]

Love, love, love Millie! Have been teaching myself Japanese cooking and discovered tamarind sauce - supposed to be for royal (?) but tasted lovely on spring rolls too.

[@andreamoboe]

Millie is a sweetie ❤

[@Dogsnark]

Thanks for sharing Millie’s story, and for adopting her. She’s really grown! I support the local pet rescue in my city and I feed a homeless cat who which I’ve barely seen, let alone gotten close to. With the possible exception of Istanbul, Turkey (famous for supporting community cats), the need for caring for homeless pets is worldwide.

[@amandaloureiro2336]

I cried a little when I saw the kittens in the cage and when you told about Milli's situation. She is such a lucky cat. And Chai is also such a beautiful and smart looking cat! I'm glad she is with someone special ❤ Oh, one more thing: love the wavy hair!

[@ChaniJapan]

Thanks so much. I also feel sad when I see kittens in a cage.

[@ChristaNetel]

Millie is quite the characater. She looks so fluffy in this video!

[@fionalomax7175]

I'm watching you on the TV right now. MILLIE🤍 is Beautiful... I have 2 cats MILLY🖤 & LOU LOU🖤 they are Tuxedo and about a year apart. I'm so glad you adopted Millie 🤍 Just a shame you weren't allowed to rescue. 🐾❤️🤗

[@cuteandwhimsical]

I'm so glad that Millie was adopted by you! She has beautiful eyes : )

[@alysseasilo9121]

If nobody hasn't mentioned it yet. I'm loving your wavy hair! It looks fab!

[@ChaniJapan]

My messy weekend hair 😀

[@aeolia80]

In Korea, there used to be a policy of people under certain visas were not allowed to adopt pets because 80% of the time they had to be re-homed when the person left Korea. I actually have no idea what the policy was when we adopted our cat, but we did not adopt him through the traditional legal way, if there even is one in Korea. Our cat is a Korean short hair which like 80-90% of the time means the cat was born on the street. We did everything we needed to do, short of registering him with the Korean government since we couldn't find any info to register cats, only dogs, we got him neutered, micro-chipped with an international chip (since in Korea they have a different system for chips), made sure he was up to date with all his vaccinations every year, and when it was time to import him to France when we were leaving we did all our research and made sure all the paperwork was correct even going to a vet in a completely different city that was familiar with importing pets into the EU. It was A LOT of work, and I don't recommend getting a pet if you don't know for sure how long you might be living overseas and if it might be difficult to import your pet when you go back home. One of my friends in Korea who got a cat while there, didn't do everything needed in a timely manner and had to have her cat stay in Korea and quarantined for almost 6 months before she could import her cat to the US, many migrants would never deal with that and give up on the pet.

[@aeolia80]

can I say how happy I am that you are a leash type cat person, lol. We've tried with our cat, but he's soooo skiddish outside not in a safe space that he can go feral sometimes, we do put him on a harness and leash when he's on our balcony, because it's a "safe" outside space for him, but not safe enough for him to be off the leash

[@katharinabruns9480]

I love that your cat is so big and fluffy!

[@cecilearquette1637]

I have wondered about Milly's story, thank you! You make a good point about how cats can live very long lives, and you need to be committed for years. This is why I'm on my last 2 cats (I'm age 62). I don't want to leave any behind when I go...I work as a foster-carer for our local animal rescue, and have seen this happen many times. so readers, adopt, foster, donate your time, money, treats, old towels and blankets what ever you are able to do!

[@f1103889]

What a wonderful story about Millie! 💜. I’d love to volunteer at the cat refuge! I’ve loved kitty Kats my whole life and couldn’t think of anything better! Thank you for sharing! 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@27klickslegend]

Such a beautiful cat! Thank you for adopting her. I'd love to train a cat to go on adventures with me.

[@victoriasantiso3910]

One of my cats is named Millie too ❤ Your Millie is so lovelly, thanks for saving her life.

[@AditiHM]

Thank you for giving Millie such a beautiful life, and saving her from almost inevitable death row. I wonder if she and Chai will ever meet. When I walked along the Philosopher's Path in Kyoto at the end of the year, I saw a lot of street cats being fed by a couple of people. I thought they must have been part of a rescue organisation because the cats seemed to know they were coming to them with food. I was surprised at how many cats there were. Spring roll fillings: tofu, shiitake mushroom, cabbage and carrot. 🥕

[@writingraven3314]

Oh Millie. I'm so glad that you two found each other. She's so cute. I usually make egg rolls with ground pork, minced mushrooms, carrots, minced shrimp, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. They're really easy to reheat as well.

[@ChaniJapan]

That sounds really yummy. I will try that idea!

[@sylviekins]

Lovely Millie, what an asset she is!❤

[@michaelleary9233]

Did you see the article about Mittens the Maine Coon cat who got stuck on a flight between Melbourne and Christchurch last week? Hope that's not Millie when you go home.

[@severone_ichi]

She looks like a mix of a ragdoll/siberian type of cat with maybe a Maincoon? Especially the size and fur give that impression, although ragdolls never get that big. She looks super happy, well done on adopting such a lovely fluff.

[@nburnett5002]

Millie tried swiping your spring roll 😂. Great video.

[@mamachicken1548]

I love you and Millie's story!! She's beautiful!!

[@chefevielee]

Millie is the best. I am so glad that you is rescued her!!! We adopted a feral cat that just showed up at our house Sir Meows A Lot Aka Meowzer a little over a year ago. Boy he has been through a lot. He has split ears and the works. Well, I found out the other day where he came from. Right up the road from my house apparently there is a colony of abandoned cats. I drove by and saw his brother almost identical just a little different base color. It was undeniable. He look in great shape. So what I'm saying is my Meowzer was the downtrodden one of the colony I guess? I am so glad that we got to have him in our lives.

[@yfllll]

For spring rolls my favorite is the Taiwanese run bing, with a lumpia wrapper. It usually has sautéed cabbage, celery, and mung bean sprouts, topped with chopped cilantro and a crushed peanut and sugar mixture.