Jacklyn Teo’s furry friend Gohan is a nine-month-old feline with a bright white belly that explains his name. You see, Gohan means “rice” in Japanese.
“His mama is a stray cat, but we’re not certain about his dad,” Teo tells FMT. “So we aren’t sure what breed he is. You can just put down ‘handsome’!”
That he is. The ochre that adorns his back, which contrasts with his snow-white belly, gradually shifts into alternating rings dispersed with white at the tip of his tail.
Gohan and his mum were discovered by Teo’s friend when he was a kitten. It was love at first sight for Teo, who adopted him soon after.
He is a playful cat who loves spending time with his human, snuggling up with her when she wakes up and trying to sneak into bed with her at night.
“If I scold him or tell him ‘no’, he’ll slink away and find somewhere else to sleep,” she says of his bedtime hijinks.
He looks forward to their playtime together, especially the teaser wand with the toy at the end.
“He can spend hours chasing it around,” she says, adding that his rope is his second favourite plaything.
As for the things he dislikes, Gohan gets scared by the sound of items being dropped, such as a plate or piece of cutlery. And yet, ironically, he loves to push items off tables and watch his owner scramble to pick them up.
Indeed, Gohan has a naughty streak and doesn’t hesitate to show it. Depending on his mood, Teo says he can either be loving and affectionate or aloof and unfriendly – there doesn’t seem to be an in-between.
If he doesn’t see her for a few days, he will sulk and give her the silent treatment.
Teo relies on the vacuum cleaner or a spray bottle to keep him in check when he misbehaves. The very sight – or sound – of either sends him sprinting upstairs.
When it comes to mealtime, he cannot stand vegetables. “He’s so picky. If his food has even a trace of green, he refuses to eat the whole thing,” Jacklyn laughs.
Like any cat, Gohan really loves fish, “especially tuna. Although something really interesting I recently discovered is that he likes durian!”
When he’s not up to mischief, Gohan enjoys a good snooze. He takes his afternoon siestas on a floor mat downstairs and occasionally switches it up by napping in his cat tower, where he can observe his mistress at his leisure.
Otherwise he lounges by the front door or window and watches the world go by, spending his days as a cheeky, sleepy, well-deserving cat should.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.