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A white cat leans over the edge of a bathtub to nuzzle a person. The person smiles while soaking in water filled with floating oranges.

Photography: Miyoko Ihara's Grandma and her trusty stray cat are a match made in heaven

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Date
22 July 2013

I probably wouldn’t happily scroll down on this one if you cried at any of the following films: Homeward Bound, Amore, The Notebook or even Stepmom (“No one loves you like I do”) because this photography series is tear jerk CENTRAL. So photographer Miyoko Ihara decided to start photographing her Grandma and the curiously strong bond she has with a white, stray cat she found in her shed years ago. The cat’s got eyes like Bowie and fur like a Luckdragon’s underbelly, and the old woman’s got eyes that tell a billion tales of hardship and love. Together they form a duo that are rarely seen apart and, as Misao is of a very silent nature, have the ability to communicate through the beautiful act of silence. Buy the book for your emotionally susceptible loved-ones here

A person bends over to tend to a row of small plants in a garden. A small white dog stands beside them, looking on.
Above

Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat

A person sits on a porch beside a white cat and a Maneki-neko beckoning cat figurine. They wear patterned clothing and a grey shawl, raising one hand to their forehead.
Above

Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat

A person sleeps soundly on a bed, their head resting on a pillow. A white cat is curled up beside them, basking in a patch of bright sunlight.
Above

Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat

A person wearing a headscarf and a patterned red jacket sits on a crate, drinking from a small cup. Beside them, a white cat sits on a large tree stump next to a teapot and a small wooden box.
Above

Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat

A white cat with one yellow eye and one blue eye perches on a person's shoulder. The person smiles warmly at the camera, wearing a light blue patterned shirt.
Above

Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat

A person in a floral pattern garment eats from a small bowl with chopsticks. A large white cat leans in close, extending a paw towards the person’s face.
Above

Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat

A white cat with one blue eye and one yellow eye sits on a person's shoulder. They both look towards a cluster of bright yellow sunflowers in a lush green garden.
Above

Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat

A white cat stands on a wooden table, leaning in to look at a newspaper. A person sits opposite them, smiling as they hold the pages open.
Above

Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat

A person wearing a headscarf kisses a white cat on the head. They hold the cat closely in their arms against a blurred outdoor backdrop of trees.
Above

Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat

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About the Author

Liv Siddall

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Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

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