Larissa Yamaguchi had her heart set on adopting a cat, but there was a minor setback – she was underage and needed to convince her family. Luckily, after some persuasion, they gave her the green light. Larissa then contacted a friend of a friend who was part of an animal rescue organization in São Paulo City, Brazil, to find out if there were any rescued kittens available. One woman sent her a photo of a black kitten that was rescued from a flood on the street. Although the kitten wasn’t in her care, Larissa knew this was the one she wanted.

Larissa and her family fell in love with a cute little kitten and decided to adopt him in September 2016. The furry friend was only six weeks old at the time. A photo of the kitten can be found on @meugatosushi’s Instagram page.

According to Larissa, the tiny kitten arrived and immediately captured their hearts. Being of Japanese descent, they decided to give him a name that honored their heritage, settling on Sushi because it was the most fitting.

According to Larissa, Sushi the cat was a seemingly ordinary feline at first. However, as he approached his first birthday, his cheeks began to droop, creating a melancholic expression. Initially, Larissa assumed that Sushi was simply gaining weight, but it became evident that his entire body possessed pliant skin.

@meugatosushi on Instagram posted a picture of their adorable black cat scratching himself constantly, leading them to believe that he was experiencing itchiness. Although they initially thought it was not a serious issue, they soon discovered that Sushi was causing severe skin injuries whenever he used his teeth and claws to alleviate his discomfort.

According to Larissa, in 2018, her feline companion suffered from a severe infection that caused him to lose a significant portion of his neck skin. The experience was quite frightening for both of them.

Larissa and her family were always on the lookout for ways to keep their beloved pet, Sushi’s wounds from getting infected. Despite seeking medical attention, including regular visits to the vet, no one seemed to understand the root cause of Sushi’s itchy, thin, sagging skin, which took longer than usual to heal. Larissa recalls the numerous tests, medication and frequent vet visits, which not only took a toll on Sushi’s health but also proved to be an expensive and stressful affair.

In 2020, after almost four years of uncertainty, Sushi’s condition was finally diagnosed as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), also known as feline cutaneous asthenia (FCA). Prior to the diagnosis, neither Larissa nor her family were familiar with EDS, a genetic disorder affecting the connective tissues that can lead to various symptoms, including skin that is excessively stretchy and prone to tearing, slow healing, and abnormal scarring. According to Larissa, EDS is not commonly known, making it rare to come across animals or people who have it.

After Sushi was diagnosed with Sushi syndrome, Larissa and her family took it upon themselves to research Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a currently incurable condition. Due to the fact that most of Sushi’s injuries were self-inflicted, they also began exploring ways to protect him from himself, a process they continue to work on. At present, their main objective is to think outside the box and come up with different treatment options for Sushi, such as finding specific foods and designing clothing that can safeguard his skin. Larissa elaborates on the ongoing challenge of finding solutions for Sushi.

Luckily, the measures taken by the caregivers have yielded positive results as Sushi has not experienced any significant harm since losing a portion of his neck skin in 2018. Although Sushi now bears a scar, Larissa says that he has made a complete recovery.