-
01
According to ABC, Kato is currently looking after 41 cats and has buried 23 cats in his garden. The most recent graves were unfortunately disturbed by wild boars that roam the depopulated community. He "leaves food for feral cats in a storage shed he heats with a paraffin stove."
-
02
He has also rescued a dog - Pochi. There's no running water, and because of that, he is forced to fill bottles from a nearby mountain spring and drive to public toilets. In his former life, Kato was a small construction business owner. Now, 57 years old, he explains that his decision to stay as 160,000 other people evacuated "was spurred in part by the shock of finding dead pets in abandoned houses he helped demolish."
-
03
The cats also gave him a real reason to stay on the land that has been owned by his family for three generations.
"I don't want to leave, I like living in these mountains," he explained, standing in front of his house, which he is allowed to visit but technically not allowed to sleep in.
-
04
His house doubles as a cat shelter, and two cats - Mokkun and Charm - who are infected with feline leukemia virus stay at his home. The house is currently in very bad condition. "It might last another two or three years. The walls have started to lean," Kato said.
-
05
"He estimates he spends $7,000 a month on his animals," partly to buy dog food for a wild boar that gathers near his house at sunset.
Though his story is not the most lighthearted one, it is very worthy of recognition. The work he does is selfless, and we imagine it is both gratifying and difficult in different ways. Read more about him in the original ABC article.
-
06
For more amazing animal stories, read about the 37-year friendship between a man and the swan he rescued.
-
07
-
08
-
09
-
10
-
11
-
12
-
13
Can't get enough of ICanHasCheezburger? Then you're in luck because we're now on Instagram!
For a weekly dose of animal-themed community challenges - Subscribe to our Newsletter!
Can't get enough of ICanHasCheezburger? Find us on Instagram!