Shamisen is a stray cat selected by Haruhi to play the role of Yuki's familiar for their film "The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina", Shamisen is unusual in the sense that he is a male calico cat. During the filming of the movie, Haruhi's reality-altering powers temporarily give Shamisen the ability to speak. He is adopted by Kyon after the completion of the movie, and is given the nickname "Shami" by his sister.