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170 cats abandoned in house in Gunma after owner falls ill

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The owner is recovering, and the animal welfare group will take care of the cats on a volunteer basis until he is discharged from the hospital and can look after the cats again.

But he was not looking after them.

Allowing animals to starve is not proper care.

Having 170 cats in one house is extremely abnormal

Time to stop..,

29 ( +31 / -2 )

This pathetic person should never be allowed to 'look after' any pets again. That room is beyond filthy. Can only imagine what the rest of the house is like. 170 cats? That is beyond cruelty and stupidity.

22 ( +23 / -1 )

Looking at the image, the person was obviously dealing with some issues before they fell ill. You can call it mental health problems, depression, or loneliness. The man has not had a real relationship in decades.

22 ( +24 / -2 )

There are people living like this all over the country. Why is there no mention of the municipal authorities, particularly social/welfare services types, and their lack of DOING THEIR JOB so this never happened in the first place!

24 ( +26 / -2 )

Great for the Nekos, they will be saved !!..

1 ( +4 / -3 )

It might be cruel to hear this, but i think euthanize them is the only option if you can't find enough people to adopt them.

4 ( +13 / -9 )

Are there Cat Shelters within Japan, from which one can "adopt" a Cat, and look after it ?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Actually, ( :blush) the link was just that, but for Gunma only - isn't there a network of similar organizations where we can find somewhere closer to our location ?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

As a cat lover this is heartbreaking. I'm just glad my cat doesn't have to live in these conditions.

If depression was a scene and not a feeling, this would be it.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Japan needs laws against breeding and hoarding, and enforcement. They want to go to zero; for lack of a better term, euthanasia, but still haven't managed to tackle the root cause...namely humans.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

That picture just makes me sick to the stomache. Looks like this guy can barely look after himeslf let alone the cats which breed like rabbits if not neutered...

9 ( +9 / -0 )

When folk get old alone, they can quite easily get into a difficult situation like this. 170 cats isn't common, but there are a lot of people out there struggling to cope.

He probably put food down for a stray out of kindness and more came.

Spay and microchip your own cats and support groups that spay ferals. That will reduce the chances of this sort of thing happening.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Actually, in the photo the cats do not look dirty or emaciated. There are many people who would like to help but are unable to.

Cats can breed very quickly. Four kittens twice a year soon adds up, but when the kittens can have kittens when there are about six months old, the population mutliplies.

Neutering can be expensive in Japan, around ¥20,000 being normal. There are some charities that help, there are some cities that help. My area used to contribute ¥5,000 to neutering but no longer does.

I have taken my cats to a place in Kawasaki supported by Kawasaki and Yokohama cities. This place charges 5,000 (males) and 6,000 (females) for neutering. It supports TNR, Trap, Neuter, Return. The idea of TNR is slowly catching on in Japan, but only slowly. You do not have to live in Kanagawa or Yokohama to use the service. http://inunekokyusainowa.la.coocan.jp/

I believe this poor man was doing his best. Unfortunately, he was hospitalised. That is why the cats were left behind. We do not know the full story. He was probably doing his best.

Unfortunately, there are many people who dislike animals in Japan. There are many who are cruel to animals. Maybe this man had to keep them inside because there is a cat-killer in Japan. There is an animal protection law but it does not protect animals because the police refuse to enforce it unless it is publicised in the news.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Yeah 170 cats would do that to one.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Idk how anyone can stand living with ONE cat, let alone 170 of them.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

I have been inside some truly filthy, cluttered (Japanese houses are always so cluttered!) and dilapidated houses in Japan, but this might take the top award.

-7 ( +7 / -14 )

he animal welfare group will take care of the cats on a volunteer basis until he is discharged from the hospital and can look after the cats again.

This is such a Japanese response! In a civilized country the man would be banned from keeping pets ever again.

0 ( +12 / -12 )

OMG. Even if the owner was a young man of thirty it would be a full time job to look after just ten (10) cats. But for one hundred and seventy ...170 !

It would be necessary to have at least fifty care takers to feed the cats, clean the house, tale them to the vet, etc.etc.etc. The owner must not be allowed by law to keep more than two or three cats. With an army of cats in the house his health would suffer. The cats would be unhappy and get sick.

If there is no law in Japan to limit the number of pets a person or family can have, Japan Today could propose to the government to create a law for the health and happiness of owners and their pets.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I’m not surprised that the owner has become sick in his very ‘cozy’ house, and the cats too. Maybe there should be implemented by law a number limit for pets in relation to the available space, shouldn’t it?

8 ( +8 / -0 )

He has been hospitalized for more than a month. Did he not tell hospital staff or anybody else that he has 170 poor souls at home? That is very selfish.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Without context, there's no way for us to know how this situation came to be.

Example: I saw kittens this summer around our home. I contacted the Japan Cat Network. They really couldn't help. "Catch them if you can". Then of course you'd have to know if it's even legal to do that.

Long story short, we can't just blame the man in this case. People in the community knew about this situation. They want you to think it was a big surprise. 170 cats? The community knew about it.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

we have 5 cats in our home and it's already chaotic with them around, I can't even imagine having 170 of them.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

170 cats?

It's obvious that the owner has been "I'll" for quite some time.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The owner is recovering, and the animal welfare group will take care of the cats on a volunteer basis until he is discharged from the hospital and can look after the cats again.

Uh what? He's not looking after the cats; he's hoarding them. Hoarding animals is a real thing and is a sign of a mental health issue. ALL of the cats should be taken into shelters for protection and care. The man, once his physical health issues are addressed, should get his mental health thoroughly checked out because what he's doing is animal abuse and cruelty.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

I've seen houses like this in Gunma and Tochigi. Had a friend who was in real estate who had to clean one of those and it was filthy af. Piles of trash over the entire house.

In another occasion saw this guy who collected magazines and manga... But it wasn't just a collection. It was mountains of them, combined with other trash all over the place and parking lot of the house.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Imagine the daily/weekly/monthly cost of properly feeding 170 cats. Even just 100 yen per day per cat would be over 500,000 yen a month. No wonder many were emaciated. Disgusting and cruel. Still can't believe anyone can think he will be able to look after the cats again. That indicates they don't think he has serious mental health issues when he obviously does.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

If he couldn't provide proper care at home, the home should have been open for the poor cats. I just hope his wrong way to love and obsession with cats never happens again.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The owner is obviously mentally ill and needs to be taken care of hopefully better than he took care of the 170 cats.

These soft-minded people who feed stray cats leading to overpopulation of the animals are everywhere in Japan. Mostly they are old people with too much time on their hands.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

The owner is recovering, and the animal welfare group will take care of the cats on a volunteer basis until he is discharged from the hospital and can look after the cats again.

Tells you everything you need to know about the attitude towards animals in Japan. They simply don't care about animal welfare. This guy should be fined and never allowed to have a cat again. Looks like he was a hoarder too. House should be demolished as a health hazard.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Insane. No one should be allowed to own so many cats. He should be banned from owning any animals.

Filthy dirty home rampant with insects and bugs.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Someone was living in this garbage dump of a home? Insane

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Just thank God he isn't your neighbor.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

This guy should never be able to have an animal again. And he should be charged for Cruelty to Animals.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Crazy thing, is how fast you can end up with 170 cats. Imagine if he started out with 6 cats (3 male / 3 female) and each had a litter of 6 with 3 females twice a year. First batch would be 18 kittens for a total of 24 (12 male / 12 female). Six months later, those kittens would be fertile. Second batch would be 72 kittens for a total of 96 (48 male / 48 female). So, less than a year and 6 cats could go up to nearly 100.

Neutering / spaying is very important for pet owners, despite the cost involved.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Not yet mentionbed by comments, the noise that cats's horde would make all day long ! (House is surely not with soundproof walls...).

Otherwise many cats have to be put down, for everyone's health sake.

A pair of cats would become one hundred within a year for your information.

Again, it shows how mental health is not even considered. How can anyone with even the smallest ounce of common sense would give back his sole owner so many cats in a single house. Mad house by the way.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Anyone caring enough can go to the website and make a donation as I have done…

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Cat's can get pregnant at 3 months.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

...the smell of ammonia from excrement was overpowering when members entered the house in early September.

...the owner, a man in his 60s, had been in poor health since early August.

the animal welfare group will take care of the cats on a volunteer basis until he is discharged from the ...hospital and can look after the cats again.

Are they really going to let this man (and the cats) return to this ammonia and excrement loaded house? I mean, he probably has a legal right to, but it just seems unethical, especially if he has a mental health issue (and he clearly does).

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Truly disgusting.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The man needs compassionate mental health treatment. He shouldn't be allowed to own any pets until he gets well.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Judging from the house the owner has some problems, also its bad to let cats give birth without control. Poor cats look very miserable

2 ( +2 / -0 )

That house looks like it’s been abandoned for years. Hard to believe someone was living there until two months ago, unless it’s just that room which looks like that.

New show idea: Normal Eye For The Mentally Unfit Guy

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Looking at the picture and hearing about the conditions of the man and cat it was a nasty site to see. One would have thought when the man took I’ll in august and remained in the hospital someone would have thought to take care of the cats.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I don't think he meant to harm the cats, the situation just got out of hand. Think of it as "cat hoarding". There have been others like him. Like any addiction, the people, or in this case the animals around the person are affected. On top of the addiction, he's old and single, doomed to die a "lonely death".

Good that they'll be rehomed. I'd foster a couple but I'm going to Europe in a couple of weeks.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I've seen this thing several times, especially on the show Animal Cops; about 200 cats in an abandoned house, the ammonia smell was so strong that animal control had to wear hazmat suits because it would burn their eyes and nostrils. They went down into the dark basement and hundred glowing eyes stared back at them lol

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Unfortunately, local animal welfare agencies are too often underfunded, and they lack legal power. They can go back again and again to the home of someone who is being irresponsible with dogs or cats, but it's hard for them to make anyone do anything. Reforms are needed, because there are many stubborn, problematic - even mentally ill - people who involve small animals in their bizarre lifestyles.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

That cat bottom left is literally saying “Please help us.” Poor kitties. What horrendous conditions to be living in. I can’t believe they’re even breeding in such filth. It must have been so hot and musty for them over summer :) It’s awful because it’d take too much money to help them, so feasibly the best thing would be to put down the more injured/emaciated ones :(

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Nothing against cats personally but I can’t stand being around them. Even one cat makes the house stink like cat piss even if they use the litter box. I guess cat owners get used to the smell but it is overpowering. Whoever thinks cats are cleanlier than dogs is out of their mind!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

kurisupisuOct. 18  07:08 am JST

The owner is recovering, and the animal welfare group will take care of the cats on a volunteer basis until he is discharged from the hospital and can look after the cats again.

But he was not looking after them.

Allowing animals to starve is not proper care.

Having 170 cats in one house is extremely abnormal

Time to stop..,

What a trashed up dump that place is. Not fit for man or beast.

serendipitous1Oct. 18  07:19 am JST

This pathetic person should never be allowed to 'look after' any pets again. That room is beyond filthy. Can only imagine what the rest of the house is like. 170 cats? That is beyond cruelty and stupidity.

I don't have any pets due to allergies but having 170 cats in one house is way too damn many for anyone to have. And you can't tell me that the owner can take care of all of them in a place like that. This is animal abuse, that's for sure. Disgusting!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

He may have gotten ill from the unhealthy house he was living in - at least in part due to the cats.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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