NYA NYA PARADISE

Just be quiet, will you?

Why do I always have to do this in order to shut you up?

I wish I'd known how annoying cats were before getting one.

Tell me about it. Waking us up at ungodly hours.

Pushing items down for no reason.

This furball broke one of my most precious cups. It was one of a kind! I can never replace it.

And don't get me started on how costly it is raising this thing.

If I'd known all this, I'd have never gotten it in the first place.

They're kinda cute as kittens, but then they grow up.

Now it's more scary than cuddly.

Just toss it and let's get out of here.

But... what'll happen if someone catches us?

It's just a street cat, no one will notice.

It's not like it has a tag or anything.

If it were a dog, then we'd have a tougher time, but this is just a stray cat.

This place is filled with them.

That's true... if it gets discovered at a garbage dump,

people will think that it's just a stray cat that wandered over in search of food.

At any rate, my life from here on out is officially cat-free.

You're cute enough that someone will come along and take you.

Just wait here and sit tight, Ruru.

Come on, let's hurry and get out of here. I'm starving.

What do you want to eat when we get back? A few days ago, I...

... Meow.

Meow?

Oh, hey Scoops.

I was waiting for you.

Meow.

I need you to do something for me.

Come with me to capture a cat.

Mhmm.

I suppose you could call it that.

To be more precise, a cat that was abandoned.

Seems like your curiosity is piqued.

We all know how draconian the animal laws are in the Ark.

However, people always manage to find a way around them.

For example, abducting stray cats without registering them,

or getting them through illegal channels.

Since they know they'll be in deep trouble if they're caught, they end up tossing these cats aside whenever they get tired of them.

There have been reports from the other cats.

The cats that are living with me in the shelter.

They said they saw a baby kitten when they were out hunting a couple of days ago.

It's still so young, but doesn't seem to have any siblings or mother around.

It can't even hunt on its own yet, and it was covered in cuts and bruises.

That tells me it wasn't raised in the wild from the beginning.

Ruru is its name.

That's what she told the other cats.

Means she has an owner. Or had, rather.

Help us get Ruru inside the shelter.

The Ark is far too dangerous a place for her.

Ruru has her hackles up big time,

so if we try and force her, we'll only end up stressing her out.

Cats are already prone to stress,

so if we're not careful, we could end up giving her a heart attack.

I'd be happy if you could help.

First, we need to gain Ruru's trust.

Only then can we convince her to come to the shelter.

Thank you.

... Meow.

The dump.

Meow.

That's where her house appears to be.

We haven't ascertained her exact age, but yes.

She's quite young.

You don't look so happy, Scoops.

Don't worry.

As long as we can get Ruru to the shelter, she'll be able to live a happy life.

Let's hurry and find her then.

That's right.

You see that box over there?

Ruru should be there.

I'm willing to bet that her owners abandoned her here.

Hisssss-!

She's been taught not to trust anyone, so it makes sense.

Ruru, it's nice to meet you.

I'm Nero. I take care of all the cats in the Ark.

This here is...

Why would you curse her out when you're just meeting her?!

I think you should stick to human speech.

Hisssss!

I don't think she likes you.

...

Reeeooowww!

You don't have to be afraid.

We came here because we want to be your friends.

It might be good for you to come to the shelter.

Hiss-!

Hiiiiiiss-!

I knew it would be difficult from the start.

Making friends is a process that takes time.

Cats are no exception.

Especially when she's been hurt by humans before, it's only natural that it will take some time for her to open up.

So, let's be patient,

and give her more time to open up to us.

You just need to observe.

Watch from afar, and slowly close the distance.

If you approach too hastily, they'll run away.

We'll wait until there's something we can help her with.

Until then, the only thing we can do is watch from a safe distance.

They don't say cats are ornamental animals for nothing.

Now, let's go follow Ruru.

*Sniff sniff*

*Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff*

There must not be much to eat at the dump,

so she's come here in hopes of finding something to eat.

I personally would say no.

But you never know. She may get lucky and find something.

Some people occasionally leave out scraps for the stray cats.

*Hak* *Hak*

She still doesn't trust us. She won't eat anything we give her.

!!

So you're the one who's been poking holes

in our garbage bags!

...

Hiiisssss-!

Ha, I take it that's supposed to scare me, huh? You're a feisty little one.

...

You must be starving to be this bold.

... You want some proper food?

...

Here you go, try this.

I bought it at Royal Road a couple of days ago.

...

!!

... Meow-!

She must have gotten spooked because a stranger got too close.

Let's follow her.

*Hak* *Hak*

*Blargh*

I think it's because she ate too fast.

Mmm...

If she keeps this up, she's gonna end up malnourished.

I'll leave some water and food a ways away.

If we scatter some catnip around the area, she'll be able to smell it.

Catnip.

Cats go crazy for it.

We can use that to subtly let her know that the food is here.

Meanwhile, we'll retreat back into the bushes.

*Sniff sniff*

*Sniff sniff sniff*

*Sniff sniff*

Meowowoww!

Meeowwwoow!

They could mean many different things.

They could signify she's really hungry.

Or she could be remarking on how delicious the food is.

They could also mean she misses her mother.

Right now, though, I'd say they mean she approves of the food.

Meow.

Mommy, look at the cute kitty!

I've never seen a real cat before.

Oh dear, are you all right, little thing?

Isn't it adorable?

That's it, c'mere little guy!

Hisssss-!

Agh! Mommy, I'm scared!

Oh boy, I think our furry friend isn't in a very good mood today.

We'll have to come back and see it another time.

...

...!

!!

... Meow!

Hey!

There's a cat here!

Be careful so you don't hurt it!

Really? Oh my! What should I do?

Hey kitty, are you all right?

What's a cat doing here anyway?

Should we report it?

Yeah, but who do we contact?

Hiissssss-!

Hiissssss-!

... Meow.

Hiissssss-!

In the wild, which rung of the social ladder you're on is determined by physical strength alone.

Not only is she physically weak, she has no parents or a social group, so it's inevitable that she'll get pushed around.

Hmm...

Most of them have been abandoned.

If lucky, sometimes we receive reports by people who saw them and can rescue these cats.

But far more aren't so lucky.

We try our best to bring in as many as we can, but the cat population continues to grow.

We've attempted to divide stray cats in the Ark into several sections and to manage them together with the shelter cats.

The cats you and the others have been seeing today

are most likely strays that people never reported.

Most of them spend their days like how we've seen Ruru did.

You're right about that.

It's a hard-knock life for these guys.

They're fighting to stay alive every minute of every day out here.

For Ruru, it's probably even worse.

Since she wasn't born in the wild, this is all new, and very scary, for her.

Hmm...

Not at the moment, no.

Not just her either, but any of the cats.

Unless you plan on taking care of them forever,

there's nothing you can do to help.

Even if you have good intentions, it won't always lead to a positive outcome.

A cat that has become accustomed to humans

will have a hard time living independently.

The best solution for stray cats is to

create a hospitable environment that allows them to live independently,

or to report them to us so we can take them in.

...!!

Meow-!

Meomeow-!

Meomeomeow-!

You see? Once a cat gets used to human care, it can never return back to the wild.

That's why we take cats like Ruru to the shelter.

Wait here just a moment.

...

Ruru.

You need protection.

How about we go to the shelter?

There, you'll have friends and plenty of food.

... Meow.

Meooow.

I'm not sure.

She isn't telling me the reason.

...

Hmm...

This place is far too dangerous for you,

so I'll teach you how to survive in the wild.

The first thing you should learn is socialization.

Really.

It'll help alleviate the apprehension that comes with being in a new environment and meeting other animals.

If you want to survive in the wild, you've got to learn to socialize.

Ruru hasn't developed any of these skills throughout her life.

...

Let's go meet some new people and animals.

Welcome to the shelter.

You'll be able to meet plenty of new people and animals here.

Woof woof!

!!

... Hiss-!

Guys, be quiet! You'll scare her!

So this is Ruru?

Hello, Nero's told me a lot about you.

You're so tiny!

I feel like you'd break in two if I tried to hold you.

Grrrr.

...

You don't have to be scared.

Everyone's just coming to welcome you.

Right. You don't need to be afraid.

This one's called Timi.

...

Timi, where are your manners? Say hi.

*Roar*

Now now, don't be scared of Ruru.

Timi is always petrified of small animals.

... So am I, actually.

They're our kryptonite.

Welcome, Ruru!

Don't worry, the dogs here are all friendly.

Go on guys, say hi!

*Sniff sniff*

*Sniff sniff sniff*

Hehe. I think they like her.

... Let's watch from over here, Timi.

I don't think we should get any closer.

*Roar*

Woof?

...

Most likely. This is all new for her.

She had never seen other animals different from her.

However, if she was truly terrified, she would have run off and hid somewhere.

Woof woof.

Woof woof woof!

Howl-!

... Meow?

... Woof!

Meow-! Meoow-

Woof woof!

It looks like Ruru does okay with animals.

Hehe, I'm glad.

I wanna play too!

... Meow!

C'mon Nero, Leona, let's play!

No, thanks.

Me neither.

Oh... okay...

What about you, Trainer?

Grrrr...

Okay!

If anyone is threatening you,

hit 'em with one of these:

Meow!

You give it a try.

Meow!

Extend your claws a little more.

Meow-!!

There you go. That's how you do it.

Try it on Scoops.

Meow-!!

...!!

Mrreewwwowww!

... No comment.

Meow-!!

Meeeeeow-!!

I think you're on a lower rung than Ruru now.

Never use your claws

unless you have to protect yourself.

If someone is giving you a hard time, retract your claws first and give them a few warning swipes.

Got it?

Meow!

All right, let's move onto grooming.

You start with the nose, then the ears, forehead, and eyes.

Once you're done with the face, you move onto the shoulders, sides, back legs, and tail.

Follow me.

You can also use grooming to express admiration.

When you want to express admiration or gratitude, you can lick like this.

Your turn, Ruru.

...

!!

Ruru, Scoops doesn't dislike you.

...

Are you hungry?

!!

You want some?

Meow!

Meow.

You want some too, Scoops?

Humans can eat it too.

What's wrong?

It's tuna-flavored, so it'll be extra delicious.

It's very similar to what humans eat.

Yeah, but this is probably the best for humans.

The other flavors... not so much.

Try it out.

How is it?

Bah, you're way too picky.

Sometimes, Biscuit and Leona have tasty treats.

...

Ruru.

You're drooling.

Here, try some.

*Sniff sniff*

!!

Is it good?

Meow!

Ruru,

if you don't come to the shelter, you'll have to find these yourself.

Are you okay with that?

...

I have no intention of forcing you to stay here.

If you change your mind, you can tell me anytime.

... Meow.

Once you're done with your treat, I'll show you your territory.

From here to the house with the red roof is where it's okay to venture about.

Climb the wall and try going there.

Meow!

If she doesn't want to come, then it wouldn't be right to force her to stay.

We own this little plot of land, and we can take turns keeping a close eye on Ruru.

It's the best solution.

...

She initially lived with humans and then was abandoned.

At first, I thought that we should definitely take her in, since this place is dangerous, but my thoughts have changed.

Since Ruru was raised by humans from an early age,

she doesn't know the first thing about surviving in the wild.

It might be better to show her the ropes.

Thank you.

She's still practically a baby, so she's more defenseless than I thought she'd be.

... Meow.

... Meow.

Perhaps.

Ruru once had a happy life with her owner.

Ruru, whenever it's raining, go inside a building.

Meo! Meow-!

??

What's wrong?

Let's follow her.

...

Meow-

Meeoow-!

Meow.

Meeoow-!

Mom.

Dad.

Meow-

... Meow.

I'm here.

When are you coming?

...

Meow...

I miss you.

...

That's not enough.

You have to cry louder so your owner can hear you.

Let them know how difficult it's been.

Let them hear how sad you are.

Unleash all that resentment.

Say everything you want to say.

Until you feel better.

...

Meow.

Meeow-

Meow... Meow!

...

That's a good kitty.

I don't need expensive toys.

I won't eat too much.

Please,

don't throw me away.

...

Are you going to keep staying here?

You'll catch a cold.

...

Are you okay, Scoops?

... Hmm.

You might catch a cold.

Why don't you head inside?

I'll stay here with her.

... Meow.

??

Hmm? Are you sure?

She said she'll go to the shelter.

Let's go warm up

at the shelter.

Do you have a blanket?

Ruru is shaking.

Thanks.

...

I think so.

Baby cats sleep 20 hours a day.

Ruru probably has barely gotten any sleep the past few days.

Let's head back to the shelter.

We need to give her a check-up.

She's been on the street for quite some time. Her health probably isn't in the best condition.

Can you help me check to see if she's healthy?

...

All the better.

We can consider it natural anesthesia.

... Sniff sniff.

...!!

Meow-!

Hisssss-!

Hold onto her tight.

Meow!

Cats can be pretty feisty when they want to be.

Oohohohoweouh...

You really went through it back there.

Good job.

It's not easy to do a health check on cats.

We'll have the results in a few hours.

We can rest until then.

Grr grr...

Grrgrrrr...

Meow...

The results are in.

...

Not good.

You should mentally prepare yourself before I tell you this.

Her health has already deteriorated

beyond the point where we can help her.

Meow.

You're right.

But the Ark's medical technology is reserved for humans.

There's nothing we can do.

Ruru doesn't have much longer to live?

...

That can't be!

She's still so young... how terrible...

Her condition is severe enough that it's untreatable.

A house cat's lifespan is 15 years, compared to only 3 for a street cat.

As you can imagine, the reason has to do with the stark differences in their living conditions.

It's not terribly surprising.

She could have had such a happy life...

*Growl*

Timi, are you angry?

... I'm angry too.

...

So what do we do now?

Right now, Ruru's happiness is our top priority.

Let's use the time she has left

to do whatever Ruru wants to do.

Good idea.

Spending the precious little time she has left being depressed won't be good for us or Ruru.

I'm sure you'll take good care of her, Nero.

Max and the other dogs said they enjoy playing with Ruru as well.

Just let us know whenever you need us!

Okay.

Don't mention it.

We just want all the animals in the world to be happy.

I want to make Ruru the happiest cat in the world.

Just let us know how we can help, and we'll do what we can.

I'm okay.

I've seen a lot of cats like Ruru here.

At first, it angered me.

I didn't understand why innocent animals were being treated this way, especially when it wasn't their fault.

It was human greed that brought them so low.

...

But getting emotional about it won't change anything.

These animals don't have much time.

So rather than get upset or depressed,

I've decided to devote my time to helping these sick cats.

Until the bitter end,

we'll do everything we can

to make Ruru happy.

That way, she can have plenty of pleasant memories to cherish in her final moments.

Meow-!

Are you okay?

Meow-!

Meow Meow. Meooow-!

She's probably feeling much better.

I'm willing to bet that was her first good night's sleep in a while.

Ruru.

Starting from today, you can do anything you want.

You can sleep more or play with the dogs.

Is there anything you want to do in particular?

...

Yes.

... Meow-!

Hmm...

Understood. Let's go.

Since there's nothing to hunt in the Ark, it makes sense.

Uh... Commander? Nero?

I'm here to buy a cat toy.

Speaking of which...

Meow?

So cute!

Is this your cat, Commander?

...

Actually, she's one of the cats from our shelter.

I see.

She's so tiny.

She isn't even a year old.

What's her name?

Ruru.

Can I pet her?

She's purring up a storm and you haven't even pet her yet, so she must be in a good mood. Go ahead.

Cool!

She was hissing something fierce when Scoops first saw her.

...

I think she really likes you, Commander.

Meow-!

Meow-!

That she likes you.

Congratulations on becoming a pet owner.

It suits you.

Ah, by the way.

This isn't much, but...

This is a treat I was saving for whenever I ran into a stray cat.

However, it might be better to give it to Ruru, so...

Meow-!

Meooow-!

I think she likes it.

Thanks.

Jeez, would you look at the time?

I've gotta get going. Plenty of things to do.

Is it okay if I play with Ruru again sometime?

Of course.

Come to the shelter anytime to play.

Thanks, I'll take you up on that!

See you later, then.

Bye-bye, Ruru.

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Let's hurry and buy a toy and leave.

She's a solid hunter.

You try it, Scoops.

Kittens are always bundles of energy.

Meow-!

Meow-! Meow-!

She's asking you to wave it faster.

Just like dogs never get tired of walks,

cats never get tired of hunting.

Meow-!

Meow-! Meow-!

...

She says it's her first time playing like this.

... She lived with people that didn't deserve to be owners.

Meow?

It's nothing.

Let's keep having fun.

Meow-! Meow-!

She says she wants to go to the highest place in the world.

Where is that?

I don't think that'll quite cut it.

Hmm...

I think that might be about as high as we can get. Plus it's safe.

All in all, not a bad idea.

Let's go.

What do you think?

The entire world is beneath your feet, Ruru.

...

Meow-!

Meeooow-!!

Cats are curious by nature.

Meow-!

And she says she's very brave.

What do you want to do next?

...

Meow!

Meow-! Meeeooow-!

Apparently, there's no need to buy expensive toys for her.

Nothing beats a good sunset.

Meow.

Oh my goodness, what an adorable kitty!

What's her name?

Ruru.

So cute!

I heard cats love it when you scratch under their chin.

I saw it in a documentary.

Whoa, listen to that purr!

How sweet.

Hey look, there's a cat over there.

I want to see it too.

Meow-!

Meeoow-

Ruru, do you want a treat?

Oh my gosh, she's just so cuuuute! I can't even.

Did you have fun today?

Meow.

I'm glad.

??

Meow-!

Where did you find this?

Thank you.

...

Ruru, you and I are quite similar.

The color of our eyes.

The white and gray speckles in our tails.

Meow!

I'm happy too.

...

...

She's probably hiding somewhere.

When a cat isn't feeling well, their first instinct is to hide.

I think we need to prepare for the worst.

I don't think there's much time left.

... Meow.

Meow...

You want to go somewhere?

Meow... Meow...

...

Why there?

Meow... Meoow.

... Meow.

...

The dump.

It's okay. The shelter is Ruru's home now.

... Meow.

...

Probably.

...

A cat always has a near-unbreakable bond with their first owner.

They were the first human she ever saw.

She'll never forget all those treasured memories she has of them.

Even though she was abandoned, she doesn't blame the owner one bit.

She only blames herself.

Meow... Meow...

... Meow.

Meow... Meow...

... Me ...ow.

Stop crying. You're going to strain yourself.

... Meow.

In the next life,

be born as my cat.

...

I'll make you so much happier than you are now.

... Meow.

I'll buy you lots of toys.

I'll make you the highest cat tower.

You'll have the most delicious kitty treats any feline's ever eaten.

So please, in your next life, be born as mine.

...

...

Ruru.

...

...

...

Ah, Trainer! There you are.

... How you are holding up?

I'm glad to hear that, but...

Me too... and you must be feeling worse than I am.

...

I... I'm only saying this out of concern for you, but

rather than pretending that everything's all right,

you should really allow yourself time to grieve.

Ruru's last moments were happy ones, thanks to the time she spent with you and Nero.

Until her last breath.

Nero is in the yard with the other cats.

They said they were going to go say farewell to Ruru.

You should join them.

Hey, Scoops.

...

I'm okay.

What about you?

Getting close to someone is a scary thing.

I didn't spend a lot of time with Ruru,

but I wonder what would have happened if I'd found her sooner.

What if Ruru hadn't been abandoned by her owners?

What if this place was a better environment for cats to live in?

...

All these things keep running through my mind.

Ruru would have been very happy.

...

It's not much, but we want to bid our last farewell to Ruru.

Would you like to join us?

Meow-

Meow-

Meeoow-

Myeow- Myeow-!

Cats can't talk,

but they have feelings just like us.

Also,

they know that what happened to Ruru...

could also happen to them.

I'm glad Ruru's last moments were with us.

At least she won't be lonely on her way to the afterlife.

Ruru has gone off

into the heavens.

May she shine bright, for all eternity.