A customer who was going through pet loss once told me about a movie.
The other day, I finally came across it.
Title
“Rudolf and Ippaiattena”
At first, I thought the word “Ippaiattena” must simply mean something like “a lot.”
But after watching the film, it made perfect sense, and I was left with a warm, lingering feeling.
The customer said they had watched this movie many times while their cat was still alive.
And after saying goodbye to their beloved cat, they watched it again, finding comfort in the story as they coped with their sadness.
It’s been four and a half years since I said goodbye to my tabby cat.
Now, I live with a black cat.
Those who have seen the film may know that it features both a tabby and a black cat.
Although their roles and personalities differ from my own cats, I couldn’t help but empathize deeply with the two characters.
I’m not sure if this movie can truly help someone overcome pet loss.
In fact, it may even make you long to see your cats again even more, and the sadness might well up inside you.
But at the same time, it soothes you, warms your heart, makes you want to cheer on their efforts, stirs many emotions, and perhaps gives you the courage to touch something new.
The time spent crying alone in your room is very important.
Don’t force yourself to “move on”—cherish your feelings of sadness.
But if you’ve started to feel just a little more positive, maybe watching this movie could be a good first step.
I rented the DVD and watched it twice.
No matter how many times I see it, I think it’s a wonderful movie.
Each time, it heals me and leaves me with a warm afterglow.
I once wrote that during the hardest times of my pet loss journey, I often turned to movies.
If I had known about this film back then, perhaps I could have recovered a little sooner.
For those whose tears won’t stop, who feel pressured to “look forward” but end up rushing themselves—please, take your time and go slowly.
And if you still can’t help but feel restless, I hope you’ll give this movie a try.
“Rudolf and Ippaiattena”
It was such a sweet, lovely film.
These are our two cats, Rudolph and Ippaiattena (real names Sora and Maro).
Maro, the tabby cat, is younger than us, but he has the same big-brother personality as the tabby cat in the movie.
Sora is 14 now, but he still acts like a child.