Fans of this unusual cat are attracted by the pure white coat and the distinctive black heart-shaped patch on the back.
This one-year-old cat lives in Hokkaido, Japan, with beloved owners Sachiko Kouraba, 36, and Sachio Kouraba, 51. The heart-shaped black fur on her back marked her as a special cat. She is adorable and a ‘perfect model’, as Ikura loves posing with flowers, wearing various cute necklaces and wearing a little lion mane. She always seems to have a small smile on her face.
“Ikura” is named after the Japanese word for salmon roe, although it won’t be her favorite dish as cats can become sick from eating raw fish. Owner Sachiko, a pharmacist, made two identical cat toys with the same markings as Ikura.
Ikura loves hanging out with her two ‘children’ and watching the birds and cars pass by from her seat by the window. “A few weeks ago, I made two dolls that look like her children,” says Sachiko.
She makes me very happy. We are not at home during the day and she has an answering machine. She often looks out the window to spot a bird and when not, she takes time to take a nap.
Ikura gets to ride a car sometimes, and she seems to be very used to people complimenting and commenting on her unusual appearance. According to Sachiko, she ‘seems to understand that she is being praised’. Ikura’s owners describe her as a ‘good girl’ and we tend to agree.
Surely there is no cat with such beautiful markings that could not be naughty.