It’s never too late to make a new best friend; just ask Jiji and his adorable cat Kinako, who completely transformed his life.
Jiji is 94 years old and lives with his wife and granddaughter, photographer Akiko DuPont, in Tokyo, Japan. Jiji was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease a few years ago, and he appeared to lose hope of ever being himself again.
“I believe it’s easy to start feeling terrified, lonely, unhappy and lost when you find out you have Alzheimer’s,” DuPont told The Dodo. “I noticed that in him.” He attempted to conceal it, but I was able to see it. He was still Jiji, a kind individual. But, over time, he began to build a barrier between himself and the outside world.
DuPont says her grandfather has always been an animal lover, but he’d only owned dogs. His opinion of cats wasn’t so positive – mostly because neighborhood cats would sometimes use his garden as a litter box.
So, when she rescued a kitten one day, DuPont thought it best to be discrete. Turns out, she didn’t need to.
DuPont explained, “I honestly didn’t acquire any authorization and initially concealed him in my room.” “Then grandpa came in and saw 4-month-old Kinako, and his eyes gleamed with joy. I hadn’t seen anything like it in a long time.”
It wasn’t long after that Jiji and Kinako became an inseparable pair.
The cat has even taken an interest in one of Jiji’s favorite pastimes – reading newspapers and clipping out articles he likes.
Kinako supervises.
“When Jiji rips the newspaper, Kinako hops on the table pretty much every day,” DuPont said. “They dispute, then give up, knowing that they just want to do what they want to do.”
Having a cat at home may appear to be a routine occurrence, but it has been nothing short of life-changing for Jiji and Kinako. They’re soulmates, if you will.
And it’s obvious.
“They get together, discuss their big moments, as if they’re checking in to see whether they’re having a nice day,” DuPont said. “Kinako and Jiji frequently snooze together, and they frequently sleep in the same position. I’m not sure how this happens, but it does.”
