Collection: Beniko

Age: Approximately 12 years old (female)
Coat: Brown tabby and white
Rescued: 2019, after being found stranded alone in Tokyo
Current home: Imamura’s home

Beniko had been bullied by people in the neighborhood. Her family left the area, but she alone was left behind with nowhere to go. A concerned neighbor contacted Labco, and she was taken into rescue.

At first, she was so terrified of people that she would freeze completely and barely move. That earned her the nickname “Beni Jizo”—Beni the stone statue.

Because of a chronic health condition, finding her a permanent adopter proved difficult, and eventually she was welcomed into Imamura’s home as a lifelong rescue cat. Little by little, she began closing the distance between herself and humans. These days, she will even walk up on her own and demand to be petted. Watching her amble around the house now, it is hard to imagine the cat who was once compared to a statue.

Beniko’s striking, deeply defined features become more charming the longer you look at her. She has a quiet presence, though she also has a habit of planting herself directly in front of the television and boldly blocking the humans’ view.