Yesterday 3 folk (2M, 1F – perhaps mid-twenties) followed our cat into our garden. They were carrying a cat-basket, and a couple of tins of cat-food. Our cat jumped the fence into next-door, and they followed. Pretty soon they had the cat in the basket. Then back over the fence into our garden, and started walking away. I’d heard our cat mewing, so I went out and intercepted them.
Their story – they’d seen the cat on the road, dodging cars, and were worried for its safety. So they decided to catch it, and take it to the vet. I was short with them, as I wasn’t impressed they’d just brazenly wandered onto our land, and then our neighbours. They released the cat, and gave a couple of 不好意思 but it didn’t feel that genuine.
I followed them away from our house a little way, and they turned into an alley. I asked them if they lived there, and they said yes. Get back to find the cat is ok, but is no longer wearing her collar. That’s the 3rd collar she’s ‘lost’ in a year or so.
Cat-nappers?
They were prepared with cat-basket and food.
They didn’t ring our door-bell, or our neighbour’s.
The cat-collar was missing.
Do-gooders?
Our cat roams the neighbourhood freely, and has been seen dodging traffic. They could have seen her around a few times, and decided to try and catch her.
It’s not an expensive breed (though she’s cute and well looked-after).
Our cat has lost collars before, could just be a co-incidence.
My problem is that they don’t do enough odd things. Mostly they act like 12 year olds until they’re 28. At which point they act like 16 year olds until they’re 35.
Please do not let the cat roam around, especially in winter. Yes, there are people out there who want to make hot pot out of the cat, or worse. Plus there is a bad bug going around, we have had lots of fatalities with our stray population at the market. Winter is rampant with disease.
We bonna fide rescuers often get sued for taking unidentified cats. If you feel this people are funky, please do make at least a statement at the police station so there is a precedent.
I often go on rescues with a basket and a net and food, though I prefer dried fish, less messy. The ones who feed the dogs in teh mountains carry huge pots, too many dogs to carry winky little bitty cans.
If they live in Hualien it is not as if the cat is dodging heavy traffic.
It’s possible they are actually telling the truth, after a fashion. A well-groomed cat with a collar clearly isn’t a stray, but they might be the sort of people who think that cats are windowsill ornaments and that allowing them to do cat-like things is cat abuse.
Yes, people do eat cat huo guo (and dogs of course). It’s rare, and it’s illegal, but it’s a thing. I imagine it’s older people who originated from certain provinces in China who keep the “tradition” alive. There are also people who catch animals for … sick stuff. I doubt that’s what they were doing though.
On balance, I’d guess they’re just eccentrics with unfathomable motivations, rather than people looking for a cat for nefarious purposes. They would have probably gone with a trap or one of those tools with a loop on the end if they’d been hunting for ingredients.
I agree with Icon that it’s worth making the police aware, but they probably won’t do anything about it and that might be just as well … at the moment.
Some people lose their cats and dogs because animal lovers see it and take it somewhere to what usually ends up to be a halfway house for animals looking for adoption.
I have friends like this we drive around every time they see an animal they think it’s homeless. I try to explain that some animals are healthy and well-fed and obviously has a home in one of the houses around here but it doesn’t get through.
I’ve had animals kidnapped back home by individuals and then had to go to some home for animals to find them.
If the dog/cat has the behavior of coming back home afternoon I few short rounds outside why keep him locked in the house? It is pretty clear the difference if a cat/dog has been abandoned or lost or just went out for a few minutes.
I had turtles. Lovely beauties, with their water tank and everything they wanted. Went on a trip of 2 days, asked a very close relative to watch for them, came back 2 days later and they were not only dead but their bodies already disposed. I asked what went wrong. ‘I don’t know, I think it was the WATER I gave them’ They live in a WATER TANK. Eventually discovered the person just didn’t want to bother and was not to her liking me having turtles as per. So found the best opportunity to flush them alive in the toilet bowl. Taiwanese person. So, be very aware who you leave your pets with. And this person seemed so ‘lovely’ with animals , even to the point of advocating for them.
In taiwan it is really not safe. Aside from normal perils of disease, cars and dogs, there is the issue with lunatics. They have people here who train dogs to hunt down and tear apart cats. We have had those coming through our neighborhoods. In teh city.
In the countryside you have the illegal traps, which maim and kill lots of pets and strays every day.
I wouldn´t dare to let my cats roam here with all the dangers out there. It is not just that their lives would be short. It is that death would be awful and painful and since they are my rersponsibility, it is better to avoid such outcome that will bring nothing but pain just because “that is what cats do back home”. Here, they don´t.
That happens often because animals do not carry any ID. “But the collar bothers them”. No, it doesn´t. They get used to it and it helps protect them. If you suggest the microchip, it is worse: “it is painful, it doesn´t work in taiwan they can´t read the chip, my cousin twice removed´s friend´s coworker had it done on the dog and it still got lost”. Ugh.
I have done that pick up a pet that was dirty and had no collar/no ID, some even sick or hurt. Then you find out it has a home. You give it back with misgivings, I am telling you it is hard.
Unfortunately, very real. We have that problem in Xindian, several pets and strays were torn apart horribly. But the same killer went with his pack to Sanchong, Songshan, several parts.
As well as the ones that in the cities hunt the cats and kill them in horrible ways and display them somewhere public. We had a case in Singshan park where the pervert was identified…yet nothing could be done against him. Lots of sorrow for teh animal associations.