The first thing you’ll notice about Dorayaki is his beautiful striped coat of black, white and gray, or perhaps his big eyes.

Widely dilated eyes in a cat, however, are often a sign of fear, poor eyesight or darkness, among other things. In Dorayaki’s case, we believe it’s possibly a mix of the three. He arrived at ARK this past June, but we don’t know much about his background aside from the fact that he came from a family who no longer cared for him.

Dorayaki isn’t the least bit aggressive. His fixed gaze is simply his way of observing and learning to trust. Someone gentle, caring and patient would be the best fit to help this scaredy-cat overcome the fears from his past.

After all, good things take time and come to those who wait. If you believe so, too, and have a safe space to offer, please give Dorayaki a chance to feel safe and heal.

Despite what ARK staff believe is a difficult past for Dorayaki, he isn't the slightest bit aggressive.
Despite what ARK staff believe is a difficult past for Dorayaki, he isn't the slightest bit aggressive. | COURTESY OF SEITARO MATSUO

If you are interested in adopting, email ARK at [email protected] or call 050-1557-2763 (English or Japanese) Monday to Saturday (bilingual) for more information. Animal Refuge Kansai (with offices in Kansai and Tokyo) is an NPO founded by U.K. native Elizabeth Oliver. It is dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned animals. All animals are vaccinated, neutered and microchipped. Prospective owners are required to undergo a screening process. Web: www.arkbark.net