Four-year-old Hokuro was shuffled off to ARK when his well-meaning former owners were found to be in breach of their rent contract. Hokuro came to ARK in May and has been trying to make the best of things ever since.

He's a petite cat and, perhaps due to the charming beauty mark for which he is named, may be considered something of a lightweight. He is definitely popular with the other cats in his enclosure, but he's not a pushover. He can hold his own and often has to in order to ward off unwanted attention.

He'll bat at ears but never gets seriously angry. He just lets others know when he wants to be left alone. And he'll do this with people as well.

Hokuro is a very cat-like cat. Give him space and time to come around and you'll have a friend who respects you and a handsome companion to be proud of.

If you are interested in adopting Hokuro, email ARK at [email protected] or call 050-1557-2763 Monday to Saturday (bilingual) for more info. Tokyo ARK is an NPO founded by Briton Elizabeth Oliver. It is dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned animals. All animals are vaccinated, neutered and microchipped. Prospective owners are requested to undergo a screening process. Web: www.arkbark.net