{"id":1938,"date":"2011-02-09T12:40:49","date_gmt":"2011-02-09T03:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/?p=1938"},"modified":"2011-11-02T13:24:22","modified_gmt":"2011-11-02T04:24:22","slug":"%e3%83%87%e3%82%b6%e3%82%a4%e3%83%8a%e3%83%bc%e3%83%bb%e5%80%89%e7%9f%b3%e4%b8%80%e6%a8%b9-%c3%97-%e3%83%9c%e3%83%b3%e3%83%89","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/1938","title":{"rendered":"Designer Takahiro Kuraishi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Takahiro Kuraishi, creative product manager of sports brand \u201cadidas<\/a>\u201d as well as designer for England-based fashion brand \u201cCASH CA<\/a>\u201d is one of the aspiring Japanese designers going global. Behind Kuraishi\u2019s creative side, there is a 12 years old cat named \u201cBondo\u201d with a dog-like talents to entertain. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Man\u2019s best friend becomes a cat<\/h2>\n

\u2014How did you first come across Bondo?<\/h3>\n

I thought about getting a cat but it never really happened whenever I walked into pet shops and saw the bizarre prices tagged on them, but I picked up a magazine called \u201cCats\u201d (title has been changed to \u201cNeko Sekatsu<\/a>\u201d) and saw Bondo on the \u201clooking for a home\u201d column they had. I picked up the phone and met up with Bondo.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014So you know Bondo\u2019s brothers and sisters?<\/h3>\n

Yes (pulling out pictures) these are pictures from Bondo\u2019s kitten age. The pictures were sent to me by Bondo\u2019s breeder, Nakajima-san. You can see here, the cat with red neck tie is Bondo\u2019s mom. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014It has been 12 years, are you still in contact with the breeder?<\/h3>\n

Every year, I would get new year\u2019s greeting card from the breeder, Nakajima-san, though it seemed have stopped now I think about it\u2026 I also used to send Nakajima-san pictures of Bondo.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014Before Bondo, was there a cat?<\/h3>\n

There was a dog. My family had a husky when I was little. For large dogs like husky, walking is crucial. I remember walking him before the school and again when I came back from the school. It was tough but I\u2019ve always enjoyed outdoor and Tomosuke Noda\u2019s essays and Hideaki Satoh\u2019s \u201cGaku no Bouken\u201d inspired me to take my dog on a canoe trip. Didn\u2019t work out though, the dog was horrified of water. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014So how did you become a cat person from a dog person?<\/h3>\n

I thought cats are less-maintenance compared to dogs. Also, I was doing a home stay in America and the family had an awesome cat. My friend Takishin (Neighbor Hood\u2019s Shinsuke Takezawa) also had an awesome cat so maybe I started getting jealous.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014As a previous dog owner, what is the biggest difference living with a cat now?<\/h3>\n

In my case, dogs are more high maintenance. The bond between the owner and the pet doesn\u2019t change though. Bondo has never been ill so far. He\u2019s a perfect pet for me.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Growing accustomed to Bondo <\/h3>\n

\u2014Why the name \u201cBondo\u201d<\/h3>\n

No real meaning or thought in it\u2026 maybe perhaps James Bond? Or Bondo Oki?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014What is Bondo\u2019s personality like? A 12-year old cat must be quiet mature.<\/h3>\n

Nope, not Bondo. After toilet or eating, Bondo gets really hyper and runs around the house like a hamster on a wheel.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014Bondo doesn\u2019t seem very shy<\/h3>\n

Actually, it is bit unusual today. Bondo would hide behind the curtain when some new walks in and just stick her ears out of the curtain to eavesdrop. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014Does a day begin early with Bondo?<\/h3>\n

Around 5:30 a.m. is the breakfast time and Bondo likes to get his back brushed during his breakfast. That became a daily routine.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014It is quiet unusual to picture Bondo eating breakfast while getting hair brushed. Does Bondo have any dietary preferences?<\/h3>\n

For dried food, it is \u201cHills<\/a>\u201d by Science Diet<\/a>, especially the hairball reduction line. Bondo gets really irritated when I run out of the dried food so I always try to stock up on \u201cHills.\u201d I also give canned food but very occasionally. As for Bondo\u2019s dining ware, it is cat-shaped with a tail as the grip of the dish. I don\u2019t think Bondo cares much about table manner. Bondo spills a lot.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014How about cat toys?<\/h3>\n

There was a period of time when Bondo was obsessed with strings but he\u2019s not that into toys these days. Bondo will play with my cell phone strap sometimes but as for scratching, Bondo\u2019s favorite spot is the food shelf. There are scratch marks all over the cat food shelf. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014How about toilet issues as a house cat?<\/h3>\n

Quiet small space I\u2019ve got, I figured\u2026 So at the moment, it is located at the entrance of my working room. I use Uni Charm<\/a>\u2019s odorless sand as well as their padded sheet so I\u2019ve never been bothered by odors but for a reason I will never understand, Bondo crawls into the toilet box and pee with his butt sticking out of the toilet box. I have to lay lots of padded sheets around the toilet box.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Talented One<\/h2>\n

\u2014Do you collect cat-related goods such as toys, dolls, books or even manga?<\/h3>\n

I don\u2019t really collect cat-goods myself but as for manga, I really like \u201cWhat\u2019s Michael<\/a>?\u201d (Makoto Kobayashi\u2019s manga series) The main character\u2019s kitten, Minikeru has chubby belly just like Bondo<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014So it is not that you would call yourself a cat lover. You are in love with Bondo for 12 years.<\/h3>\n

I think so. Most of the pictures on my cell phone are pictures of Bondo and I would show them to my co-workers over and over, haha. There are lots of stray cats around my house but I\u2019m not really attracted to them? I love Bondo but I am not eligible to be titled as a cat-lover.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014So it sounds like your lifestyle does not satellite around your pet. Almost like you and Bondo, each got own lifestyle.<\/h3>\n

Yes, I mean, cats are not very clingy pets to begin with. They don\u2019t go out of their way to appeal their cuteness though they will come to cuddle with you when it\u2019s cold but we are not an inseparable kind of man and a cat.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014Bondo is very well-mannered, I find.<\/h3>\n

For a 12 years old cat, Bondo is very active and still has kitten like characters but she doesn\u2019t cry or make big messes. Actually, I trained Bondo like a dog, haha. Whenever I was giving fish snacks, I trained Bondo to do \u201chigh five\u201d and \u201csit.\u201d I also tried \u201cwait\u201d but that one never worked out.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014It is really rare to train cats to do tricks! Where is Bondo\u2019s favorite spot in the house?<\/h3>\n

A little wooden bed from Ikea, I think it\u2019s for child\u2019s teddy bear or something. The size fits Bondo perfectly. Also a beads cushion I bought for myself. I think Bondo really likes rolling over the cushion so I just gave it to her.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014No cat towers?<\/h3>\n

I personally really want one but I haven\u2019t yet found a cat tower design I want in my house. I receive \u201cPEPPY CATS<\/a>\u201d magazine from Bondo\u2019s vet every month and I check the new cat goods every time. Still, it is a big step to install a cat tower for me. It will not only change the room but lifestyle for both I and Bondo. I\u2019m not really thinking of decorating my house as \u201cCat- friendly\u201d house. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2014There are lots of funny and stylish goods and furniture for dogs out in the market compared to cats. As a designer, do you think you might design cat goods in future?<\/h3>\n

Of course, if I find a chance. I always think about products I could design for Bondo, for example she has a habit of biting on to my hand and kick me with her legs, I\u2019ve been thinking of some sort of oven gloves like product I can use when Bondo gets her kicks on. The thing is though, cats are much more self-opinionated compared to dogs so even if I buy something because I think it\u2019s cool, there is no guarantee that the cat will also like it and that I\u2019m sure many cat owners can agree on. I do find that appealing though in cats, the mystery of what this animal is thinking. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Takahiro Kuraishi, creative product manager of sports brand \u201cadidas\u201d as well as designer for England-based fas …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1944,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1938"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1938\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3421,"href":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1938\/revisions\/3421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilovedotcat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}