There was some news today I thought would be of interest to /azu/.
In Nagasaki Prefecture's Tsushima City a man called to a wildlife health center, asking them to treat his sick Tsushima Cat. The center sent someone around who treated the cat, but it passed away nine hours later. It was a female, 15-16 years old, and appears to have died of old age. As Tsushima Cats are wild animals and protected by law as a Natural Monument, it is a crime to keep one privately (and has almost never happened), and the man was questioned about it. He said he found the cat as a kitten injured on a road 15 years ago, had it treated at a vet and took it in. Because he had no ill-intent he is not to be prosecuted. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20131024/k10015531141000.html
Now, anyone on /azu/ should be thinking one thing at this point, and you wouldn't be the only ones. On Twitter, a search for the headline + 榊 brings up a bunch of tweets, the key theme of which is リアル榊さん, Real Sakaki-san (others included Yamamaya, Yamapikarya, and the observation that 15 years ago is about right for the scene in Azumanga). http://realtime.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?p=%E7%B5%B6%E6%BB%85%E5%8D%B1%E6%83%A7%E3%81%AE%E7%8C%AB%E3%80%80%E6%A6%8A&ei=UTF-8
The Tsushima Cat is a close genetic relative of the Iriomote Cat and looks similar too.