This issue’s TOM Staff pick is a “show and tell” all about our pets. We’ve wanted our love for animals to be part of TOM ZINE since the project’s initial conception, which is why our editor-in-chief Kuro-kun is a Shiba Inu. Pets help cheer us up, make us laugh, comfort us during hard times, and show us unconditional love, and they are best friends throughout life. Today, we’d like to take the opportunity to share the cute companions in our lives with you.
Staff Nickname: Katie
- How long have you had them?
- 3 years
- What is their personality?
- The most tsundere of all tsunderes. Heaven forbid I move even a centimeter while she is blessing my lap with her presence. But she also refuses to sit on anyone else's lap but mine, so...
- What’s their favorite food?
- 3 O'clock Soup (wet food snack)
- What was it about Nozomi that made you decide, “you’re the one!”?
- Our daughter was only 3 when we got her, so we wanted a kitten so they could grow up together, since we thought older cats would take longer to warm up. When we went to a fair for rescued cats, the older cats hid away when we got close, but Nozomi crawled into my daughter's lap and fell asleep.
- Share an interesting story/episode you have about them.
- Nozomi is actually the name given to her by the people who rescued her. She only weighed 50 g when they found her—that's about the weight of one egg. They weren't sure she would survive, but they named her Nozomi, which means "Hope," and nursed her to full health. After hearing that story, we couldn't possibly change her name!
Staff Nickname: Hayley
- How long have you had them?
- A little over 2 years
- What is their personality?
- Grumpy, but sweet
- What’s their favorite food?
- She loves all food. She's a little bit fat...
- What was it about Sahara that made you decide, “you’re the one!”?
- She made the decision!
- Share an interesting story/episode you have about them.
- She was living on the streets and starving. I caught sight of her one day on our street and stretched out my hand towards her. I wasn't expecting anything but she took that as an invitation and walked straight into our house! She must have liked it because she's been living with us ever since.
Staff Nickname: Massiel
- How long have you had them?
- 4 years. He's 10 now.
- What is their personality?
- Stubborn, independent, fiercely loyal
- What’s their favorite food?
- Cheese, eggs
- What was it about Ibis that made you decide, “you’re the one!”?
- I was actually looking for a dog that could live with cats, as my roommate wanted a cat. We went to the shelter to look at a cat that had lived with a dog, and when we got to the shelter, they told us that the cat's bonded dog was there, too. So we took them both home! The shelter thanked us because they didn't think the pair would be adopted together since they were, and I quote, "rather... idiosyncratic." AKA they were both little stubborn weirdos.
- Share an interesting story/episode you have about them.
- Unfortunately, the cat he was adopted with died of a sudden heart attack. We adjusted to life without a cat but one day we found a kitten on the street with an infected eye, so we trapped the kitten and took her home for treatment. She ended up being a total sweetheart and now she is Ibis's actual baby. He stops anyone from playing with her because she's HIS to play with (unless she's tired him out for the moment.) He lets her groom him and he chews on her lovingly like he does his other toys. Kishu-ken are normally very prey-driven, so it's extremely sweet to see their bond.
Staff Nickname: Massiel
- How long have you had them?
- 7 months
- What is their personality?
- Sweet, loving, chaos tornado
- What’s their favorite food?
- She's still a baby so she only gets kitten kibble!
- What was it about Pepper that made you decide, “you’re the one!”?
- We found her on the street and were nursing her back to health to have her be adopted, but she was so sweet and entertained herself with whatever we gave her. Plus, she and the dog started getting along great and I didn't want to separate them.
- Share an interesting story/episode you have about them.
- I brushed my dog's teeth and she grabbed his head between her paws and sniffed his mouth because she had to check on how well I did my work.
Staff Nickname: Min
- How long have you had them?
- 5 years
- What is their personality?
- Rascals and a little spoiled
- What’s their favorite food?
- Freeze-dried snacks
- What was it about Sumi & Koge that made you decide, “you’re the one!”?
- They were both twin-black cats. I used to own a black cat before, and I always thought that one day I’d like to live with one again. So I welcomed the chance when it came.
- Share an interesting story/episode you have about them.
- They were clearly a bit scared this one time I took them to the vet’s office. But when we got back home, they jumped out of the carrier bag, yowling and pretending as if they were never afraid.
Staff Nickname: Cue
- How long have you had them?
- About 3 years
- What is their personality?
- Mannjiro is intuitive, Chachamaru is cautious, and since Lulu is a small bird, they’re pretty forgetful, but friendly towards people.
- What’s their favorite food?
- For the cats, CIAO Churu.
- What was it about Manjiro, Chachamaru, and Lulu that made you decide, “you’re the one!”?
- My wife instantly fell in love with them, and so we happily welcomed them in.
- Share an interesting story/episode you have about them.
- The cats will often come into my room while I’m working and sit on the keyboard. It can be a bit bothersome. Also, when winter comes, they’ll come to curl up in bed with us. However, when it’s summertime, they won’t even come near us.