Lily was first featured in this column in October 2023, but continued to languish in a shelter with no prospects for a home for more than a year. Thankfully, help was on the way — in the form of Masato and Kumiko Fukuhara.

Residents of Tokyo, the Fukuharas had previously put their hands up to care for an ARK cat that didn’t have long in this world. They adopted him and spent the last month of his life together, with the ailing cat loved and at peace. The couple didn’t hesitate when they were told about Lily, whose eyes had already started to deteriorate. They brought her home in January and Lily, now known as Lilimi, settled in immediately.

Upon arrival, Lilimi claimed her spot smack in the middle of the couple’s futon. “We realized we would soon be relegated to the far corners!” says Kumiko. Lilimi was very content. She would start purring as soon as the couple came near. “She let us know when she wanted to be held or stroked, which was often, and we couldn’t have been more delighted.”