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238 cats rescued from house in Sapporo

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Why didn't they think to get the cats fixed at a certain point? So stupid!!!!!!!!!

4 ( +7 / -3 )

I will take a cute little kitten please.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

The Environment Ministry says it is very rare in Japan for more than 200 cats to be retrieved from one location.

Makes me wonder how many times 100-199 cats are retrieved from one location. It makes it sound like it's pretty often...

16 ( +16 / -0 )

The Environment Ministry says it is very rare in Japan for more than 200 cats to be retrieved from one location

my JT LOL moment for today..... wonder how many gov't workers nationwide spend their days working on the statistics..... dear oh dear! (⌒▽⌒)

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Imagine the stench!

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Why didn't they think to get the cats fixed at a certain point? 

Because it's expensive. There are NPOs, regional groups and other grassroots organizations who work for cat rescue, welfare, homing, and TNR, but unless you know where to look, it is very easy to be discouraged by the ridiculous prices most vets ask - even when you tell them they are street cats.

But these people are to blame, as well as the country's lack of a national SPCA and local govt. laws which vary wildly, from "no-kill shelter and try to rehome", to "Gas them."

11 ( +11 / -0 )

I think it costs around 30,000 yen to spay or neuter a cat. A woman who feeds stray cats told me the vets around here (Chiba) might give a discount of a couple of thousand yen off.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

I'm not a PETA supporter and I'm no vegetarian but isn't this animal abuse? That many pets in one house, that's neglectful and crazy!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I think it costs around 30,000 yen to spay or neuter a cat. A woman who feeds stray cats told me the vets around here (Chiba) might give a discount of a couple of thousand yen off.

It depends on the place and/or vet. I paid 15,000yen for mine plus shots.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

A woman who feeds stray cats told me the vets around here (Chiba) might give a discount of a couple of thousand yen off.

Sorry to stray off topic (no pun intended), but I get so annoyed at people who feed stray cats, because they multiply and become a public nuisance. I've had to warn my neighbor (who always does this) on several occasions that these cats are causing damage all over the neighbor and she was responsible for it.

Bottom line : Don't just feed cats; you're not helping them by doing this. If you really want to help them, then get them fixed and care for them indoors, otherwise, just let them be!

Because it's expensive.

Yes it is, but if they can't even pay their rent, then they really had no business keeping cats in the first place.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

It should be the other way around. “House rescued from 238 cats”

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

There used to be a lot of stray cats in my neighborhood. I think someone complained to the city office because they aren't around anymore. Well, we've got a rat problem. I overheard my landlord and the neighbors talking about the rats here, there and everywhere. Wish those rats would go to people who don't like cats and/or the one(s) who complained.

@DaDude I guess I misremembered. It was probably around 20,000 yen to spay or neuter. One costs more than the other. I do recall that it was only a couple of thousand yen off for stray cats. The vets can't or won't give much of a discount. I can understand that... They need to make a living after all.

I suppose the couple and son in Sapporo couldn't pay the fees so their cats kept on breeding...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I don’t even want to imagine the stench. I have one female cat and if I don’t clean her litter box regularly (sometimes I’m lazy) it stinks.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Cats are much cleaner than dogs-my pussy always smells fresh and clean after a good washing which is regularly carried out

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

As starpunk said - this is first and foremost a case of severe animal abuse.

The sheer weight of numbers is astounding.

38 cats in one house is terrible. 138 cats in one house is extremely cruel and 238 is beyond the boundaries of any concept of human decency.

Aside from the case of the cost of spaying, there is no excuse for this to have continued. Neighbours, postal workers, etc didn't notice anything strange?

This is a criminal matter.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Imagine the stench!

It's not just the stench; if they're urinating all over the house then the home will be filled with so much ammonia that you can't see or breathe. If you watch shows like Animal Cops, they sometimes clear out a houses with hundreds of cats and need to wear hazmat suits just to go inside.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Having a pet in japan is not cheap. My dog costs more than ¥10000 a month just for checkup and vaccinations and medicines. Vets must be so rich.

still cheaper than kids though.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

these three should be help accountable unless they are mentally ill!, which I believe they are.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Total abuse, those 3 persons shall be charge for life neglect.

Why did they not open their door for them to leave ? Probably because mentally ill.

A cat in the open air is naturally so clean you can't smell a thing.

Vet cost should be low to favor spaying or neutering because cats like dogs have a social role people tend to forget (pest control, guardian of the place).

1 ( +2 / -1 )

...What a HORROR show...….these people need to be up on charges!

Japan is notorious for NOT dealing with problems as it relates to housing, be it noise, houses filled with garbage, guy too near me lost his job now he ""re-cycles stuff" yard has become a massive JUNK YARD, then we have akiya(empty houses & buildings & like this story massive cases of animal neglect & abuse!

ALL of this is usually in PLAIN SIGHT, but nothing ever gets done except maybe if it gets to theatre of the absurd like this sad story!

People cause all these problems, we need to fix them sooner rather than later!

Bottom line : Don't just feed cats; you're not helping them by doing this. If you really want to help them, then get them fixed and care for them indoors, otherwise, just let them be!

THIS times 10thousand!   To feed strays is to KILL strays, sad many don't get it!

Local govt's should subsidie fixing strays, I have personally paid a small fortune along with my neighbours but sadly one still puts out food, but at least he has fixed the most strays, but he still ticks me off

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This couple must have some sort of mental health issues, just keeping 238 cat in a flat it must be like a moving carpet of cats, how did they feed them all? where did that money come from? ( probably not paying the rent) 238 cats were found alive, so how many dead one were there? the flea infestation must be horrendous, and the flies from the decomposing bodies, most cats can turn back to being ferrel when they have no food, it seems like these cats were enclosed in the flat all of the time, a cat that defecate's in a tray indoors stinks, but too times that by 238, plus the smell from the decomposing dead cats and urine, jeees, no wonder the staff from the animal welfare centre could hardly open there eyes, which begs the question, why didn't any one else smell this odour coming from a flat in that block. God know who they should be punished, locked up? is this right? should they have a phycological valuation ? they should be banned from keeping ANY animal for ever.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Check the cats for toxoplasmosis and SARS-COV-2.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

This is cleary animal abuse. It required great care when I had just one dog. Can't imagine the horror in this house.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

May as well burn the house down, that smell isn’t going away ever.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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