TOKYO, February 5 (RIA Novosti) – A Siberian cat presented by President Vladimir Putin to the governor of Japan’s Akita prefecture has been handed over to his new owner and given the Russian name “Mir,” a prefecture spokesman said on Tuesday.
Mir, which means peace in Russian, arrived in Japan in late August but had to spend five months in quarantine at Narita international airport.
The 11-month old male cat is Putin’s gift to governor Norihisa Satake, who sent an Akita Inu puppy named Yume (“Dream”) to the Russian leader last summer in gratitude for Russia’s assistance after the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan.
“And we need peace to make dreams come true,” the prefecture spokesman quoted governor Satake as saying.
“Mir is a very beautiful cat. He is marvelous. He’s a real presidential cat,” the spokesman said adding Mir is feeling well at the residence of governor Satake, a passionate feline lover who already has seven cats.
