The Truth About Cat Island
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- Опубліковано 27 гру 2016
- Cat Islands aren't the feline utopia they're made out to be.
Read more about my experiences in the accompanying article I wrote at:
www.pawculture.com/lifestyle/t...
KittenLady.org - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
I assumed they were all spayed or neutered but this is surprising. They should set up a vet office on the island for sick cats and the un-fixed kitties.
In an ideal world that would be how it works. Unfortunately you need volunteers that are willing to trap the cats, then you need a veterinarian that is going to put in the free time it takes to spay/neuter the cats and vaccinate/treat each cat.
All these things cost money. The medicine isn't free, while you can get people to volunteer these islands are slightly on the abandoned side, and vet isn't free unless they're willing to donate their time.
Marieila - It would be cool if the vets-in-training in Japan could come here to practice spaying and neutering on the cats, imagine the amount of cats helped.
If all cats are spayed and neutered on the island, there would no longer be cats on the island in 20-30 years. Though yes, they should probably take a large amount in to be spayed and neutered.
So if they did that how would they get food how would they get more cats on the island?
Pink ! Pinkinblue22 there is a port on the island. Fishing boats arrive daily to bring food for the cats, they're not utterly disconnected from any help.
Cat Island is not to be touted as a tourist attraction. A donation should be left by every single tourist for the sole purpose of your recommended trap, neuter/spay return method. To help them is to limit their numbers, as you say. I believe that also, in every situation where they have become a huge colony.
this is a FANTASTIC IDEA! Please write to the Japanese govt about this! You step foot on the island, you pay a small fee. Easy peasy. Fix all the kitties!
Yes even a small $5 entry fee would help so much!
@@jekku4688 Lmao good luck. Why don't you do it yourself?
The Japanese government doesn't give *two shits* about animal welfare.
Yes please
Yes all very true but its very very traumatizing to take a feral cat in a home or even trap it so you have to be very careful and sometimes there best left outside where they are if there's nothing you can do to help
I know that it's bad for the cats but the island it self is abandoned, there are about 96 residents left and about 70 of them are elders, I don't think they get more medical care than the cats themselves. The government decided to not get involved with those island ( not the cats but the residents ).
Yes, Im glad you brought out this point. We all know that the cats need proper care, but where are the manpower to get this done? The residents themselves are mainly senior citizens who needed care and help. What can they do with their meager strength if the government will not support this island?
@@kokhowe Ok, but you just ignored the medical and care needs of human beings to say "who will take care of the cats!"
The cats will. They've been around longer then medicine. I think they'll survive, and some will die, yes; But do you know the death rate of fieldmice?
Adorable little creatures, most don't make it to maturity. It's the circle of life, and if we want to make it easier for all animals; then *we have to take care of our own first!*
Seriously, we should get the cats food, shelter, medical care, and socialization; and all for free; But we need to get care to all the humans who need help first, we need to change our own laws first so we can *actually provide consistent assistance!*
Charities cannot match government programs in scope.
@@thesurvivorssanctuary6561 Are you misunderstanding what I've said? Since when did I ignored the medical and care needs of human beings? Did I not say "The residents themselves are mainly senior citizens who needed care and help"? The point that I'm trying to bring across is simply this - Don't expect the island residents to improve the cats' situation because the residents themselves are in need of help, and they definitely don't have the resources to take care of anything else. The only solution is when the government steps in to revive the whole island, which they chose not to.
@@thesurvivorssanctuary6561 you have time to write a whole essay but no time to read carefully before even forming a response 😂
Exactly! If the people there aren't doing well and getting the health care that they need, then the cats aren't gonna do well and get the health care THEY need!
There's a problem
The island is mostly empty
Most of the resident who live here is old
They probably don't even get as much support as these cats surround them...
thank you for remembering the PEOPLE. In caring about animals, we cannot forget our own kind. The fishermen sacrifice a portion of their daily catch to feed the cats, too.
You are correct. The cats are bringing them money from tourism. The cats deserve better treatment. First step would to fix and vaccinate.
If they fix them all then how will they get more cats?
Cloudfern The island is already over populated
casey robbins Agreed
Cloudfern and inbreeding is the right solution in your opinion or what?
True
I think most people, myself included, just assumed that the kitties were being cared for properly. You see all these sensationalized articles on social media about Japans cat islands and they never seem to touch on the real issues of overpopulation and illness
Totally. That's why I felt it was important to steer the conversation a little more towards the reality. Thanks so much for watching!
You sound so condescending and authoritarian.
thats the point Danny
@@djmz1969 What a coincidence, you too!
I’m a cat mom and this breaks my heart to see those cats. 😔
This breaks my heart too
Same, I have 3 cats and it really breaks my heart...
Seeing this made my heart shattered 😭😭😭😭😭
@@rayne2135 k
They’re wild animals lol
I want to adopt them all 😭😭 this island should become a huge adoption center instead of a tourist attraction
Yes, true..hope this is heard...
Who's stopping you from taking one
It is a cool place but that doesn't mean the cats are happy. They should all be able to live their lives happily and not in fear or injured. I think they should set up a little vet station for sick or injured cats. Even though it is a awesome place to visit some cats need to get better taken care of.
I totally agree!
Yes yes yes
WHY ? THERE ANIMALS ANIMALS HAVE FEAR AND GET INJURED YOU CANT SAVE ALL LIFE START WITH YOUR OWN TRIBE
.
BlazRa wtf are you talking about?
Since it has been turned into a tourist spot why not put up a stationary vet clinic manned by real vets funded by the tourist industry itself tit'd work both ways as cats will have a 24/7 health stop on the island and tourism will be ensured of a well spent trip for leisure
tactac75 Thatwould be a really good idea
Jayne Crafter Did you even watch the video? She said most of the cats are tame and friendly. Spaying and neutering has no negative effect, you can get a cat fixed at any age. The residents of the island are using the cats to draw in tourists and money and should therefore be responsible for their welfare.
+ Jayne Crafter Nobody said to put them in homes. Spay, neuter, take care of any health issues, and return them to live out there natural lives. What happened to your cat is highly unusual. But just like some people go into surgery and die, it can happen. It just doesn't happen often. Also I think you are underestimating how many cats are on these islands. There are hundreds, so fixing them isn't going to hurt the population continuity, because I doubt they will be able to fix them all. You would have to have an army of vets to do so. The OP is advocating for a single clinic.
from what I understood from site about the islands, most do not have any real "tourist spots". The only fee is the cost of the ferry and the ferry wasn't set up for tourists it was for the residents of the Island. Most islands seem to only have between 100-300 people. With no other revenue than the Ferry cost (because there currently are no cafes or shops) the only people making money are the people who run the ferry.
Average citizens wouldn't be benefiting, I mean, at first it was just a bunch of strangers filling up the ferry and wandering around their town and lands. Personally I'd find that annoying.
What she's saying in the video is the equivalent to there being something interesting in your neighborhood, a bunch of random strangers start showing up to see it and suddenly you are expected to pay for its care despite it not belonging to you and you not actually getting anything in return (yet). The average person would find it crazy if they were expected to pay for every stray in the neighborhood.
they need to get spayed too!
Spaying/neutering cats actually prolongs the lives of cats by reducing their chances of developing reproductive cancers. Similar to humans, cancer is the leading cause of death among older cats. Overpopulation can also cause a lot of stress on the animals, because cats are generally solitary animals.
While cats have retained their wild ancestral instincts, if the island has limited resources for the cats to hunt to feed themselves and there is an overpopulation problem, but due to the fact it is an island, it's near impossible for them to migrate away to search for food. So with that in mind, yes it _IS_ the responsibility of humans to look after their welfare. Remember the cats aren't native to this island. This scenario is man-made, not a bunch of wild felis silvestris lybicas living in north Africa (where they were originally from). Nor are they truly feral and living in an environment that can support them.
To those who worry that fixing them would cause the island to lose its cat population, don't worry if the majority of the cats are fixed, a small number can still go on to produce enough young to sustain a more healthy number. How do I know this? Because cats are prolific breeders! The average litter of cats is 1 to 8 babies and 2-3 litters annually. One cat could have 100 to 180 kittens in her lifetime. However, her entire generation could include 49,000 offspring and grand offspring in only 10 years! And that's just *ONE* female cat. So even if the whole island had only a breeding pair of unfixed cats left, it will become overrun again within just a few years.
Basically, these island cats _need_ to be spayed and neutered.
I agree with everything except "cats are... solitary animals." This is often repeated, but the opinion was formed by observing the European wildcat, which is in fact solitary. The African wildcat, which is the direct ancestor of the domestic cat, groups together in colonies and lives in groups... just like feral cats do.
I have been studying cats since I was seven, and I have never read a more true comment than this. Cat island is wayyy overpopulated and I think that some cats there should even be adopted there are too many
My only quibble with what you've said here about the cats is that they are solitary. Yes, they hunt that way in nature, but by the time you've got cats hanging around in a town together like that, they start showing each other where food is, and they hang out in groups. I'm sure you know that but yes, there are a whole lot of cats there making it overcrowded even for cats that have adapted to their lives in large groups. I just like to point out for new cat people or kids that cats are social in their own way, and when they live in cities they form groups on purpose. It's one of the reasons for the success worldwide of mere "housecats". I also like to encourage the concept of more than one cat, if possible. Some cats won't like others, and not everyone can afford more than one cat. But cats can be happy within a group. Of course, they are happier in that group when they are all healthy and well fed. It seems to me that island could handle a large group, but not that large.
@Just your friendly neighborhood quiet kid
Dude cats breed like bunnies.
I dont even know how many mama cats Ive seen die from having too many litters or their babies literally sucking them dry from having too many babies. Dogs and cats commonly have way too many babies and if we nutered and vaccinated cats even the stray ones we could drastically help cats. Vaccinations not only help the cat but cause herd immunization for other cats. There are always going to be cats having babies no matter where you go but if we could change these tourist attractions and cities we could help them. Not only that but reach out to foster parents who can transport healthy young kittens into their forever homes especially in countries with high demand for cats.
@@kieran6315 But it shouldn`t be so many cats on quite small territory. They don`t feel good in such big group and they get easily infected by some typical cats disease (for eg. cat`s cathar). If one is infected,soon all "herd" is ill too;(. The same in home, you can keep 2,3 cats max.,not 20 cats ! Then they get stressed (and who normal keeps 20 cats;).But they also manage good on themself which means in fact they are solitary animals.They are not like for eg.quinea pigs which must have company. Only lions live in small groups,other big cats live alone.
I lived in Okinawa for 4 years and there’s tons of cats there as well. I actually rescued one and he’s the sweetest boy ever. In Okinawa all of the local vets were running a catch spay release program. The mamasans and local people left food and water out for the cats as well. They weren’t tourist attractions so I think people were more inclined to stop the population growth and try to heal/feed the others.
I do karate and they always tell us about Okinawa. (Since the type that we do originates from there thousands of years ago) hi from Canada!
A TNR program is the ethical choice. I've read some comments, and want to correct some misunderstandings. The cats on the island don't exist in feral state. The cats are fed by the residents. For those advocating that nature take its course, understand that this is not a natural situation.
From an economic standpoint, the cats must be kept healthy if a tourist industry is to be built around the island. Japan can't very well have hordes of rabid cats attacking tourists. Consider this from an insurance standpoint.
There hasn't been a reported case of rabies in Japan since 1959. Japan is actually on the list of countries that are free of rabies. Tourism could be the answer to the obvious health problems and over population of the feral cat islands of Japan. The last thing that is needed is to create fear and panic of something that doesn't exist. That type of fear could be extremely detrimental to the poor cats overall.
One of the things I love about cats is how clean they are. Rabies in cats is actually extremely rare. According to the cdc, there has not been a single confirmed case of cat-to-human rabies in the US in over 40 years! Cats are not like dogs and don't bite people. They only attack when they feel threatened.
I saw a video titled something along the lines of "a cat that won't stop meowing", it was filmed on some cat island in Japan but can't remember which one and I'm quite sure the cat is in serious danger. I had an internship at an animal shelter and we got a cat that wouldn't stop meowing, we thought he was just very attention seeking because he loved people. but then after a couple of weeks being there he puked and it was nothing but worms and stomach acid, we immediately gave him the medication against internal parasites after that (we originally wanted to get him castrated first, for some reason the medication has to be given at least 2 weeks before any kind of surgery). and after the parasites were finally gone and he actually got to eat for himself and not a bunch of worms he stopped meowing as much. we didn't expect a young cat to have that bad of a problem with worms at all... we got to notice that he was actually underweight too his stomach had just been so bloated by the amount of worms. that's why I think the cat in the aforementioned video is actively dying of starvation...
the people on those islands really have to start caring for the cats, they are in pain and shouldn't be just left to "naturally die" because there's nothing natural about their situation. I'm really worried about how so many of the cats seem to have badly deformed tails, it affects their balance quite heavily I expect. and I'm hoping that it's because at some point some individuals of the tail-less cat breed have gotten in there and not because the cats are so incredibly inbred.........
Trash King the Mighty Ruler of Garbage Town. Maybe maybe not some cats just have natural short tails
nah, a messed up tail is usually a good marker for inbreeding in most cat species. (like Florida Panthers, for example)
There's about 4 different breeds of cat that are born with short tails the American bobtail,kurlian bobtail, Manx and European bobtail
Yuck disgusting and gross. Why did i read this?
Edit: i should have just said i agree. 😢😢😢☹☹🙁😔
it's a Japanese bobtail variation...they are not deformed.
I agree with you! If the cats are getting sick they need a vet to take care of them and spay/neuter to keep the island from being overcrowded.
THE BABY KITTEN THAT YOU ARE FEEDING AT THE BEGINNING IS SO ADORABLE!!!!!!!
IT'S SO CUTE I'M GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!
Lucy Lacemaker i see ya everywhere
taric kinnie ?..
Heloooooooo
Kitten: new (food?)
Ann ProductionsTM are you allergic to adorable?
420 likess
My uncle owns a cat sanctuary in Italy (Gatti di Su Pallosu) and there's nothing but care and love with the cats. There's over 50 of them, each one is neutered and vaccinated, all of them are fed, there's just an amazing abundance of love for these babies. It's on the island of Sardinia, you don't have to pay to get in, but donations for the cats are accepted. The only upsetting thing is that cars drive by and they ignore the speed signs, so unfortunately there were some deaths.
I would love to live on the island and stay there to help all of the ones that need it.
My friend adopted a cat from one of those places. She saved it's life; it had had kittens, but they all died, and she was terribly skinny and small.
One of the most popular cat island actually has silver population so they aren’t able to take care of the cats. The cats were originally brought there to moderate the rat population. The people can’t exactly do much as they don’t have the resources to help the cats as they have a poor economy. It was never meant to be a tourism site.
"The cats live naturally and they die naturally" I don't understand why people say this is cruel? it's nature in it's natural form, that's the way life works. you don't feel bad about kicking a raccoon but letting a cat live naturally is cruel? these cats survived their asses off until they die naturally. if you really love animals you wouldn't feel bad about this not unless you just love cats ONLY that's why you you think this is cruel. These cats weren't mistreated, there's no cruelty in this system people.
Or the fact that castrating and holding them in captivity is somehow less cruel.
I fully agree with you, its silly how people call this cruel. but look at rats living naturally in populated areas just like the cats are seen as vermin that need to be exterminated, and nobody bats an eye about it. They just think its cruel cause they are cute cuddly cats. Even though there is nothing cruel about living naturally and free for the cat.
i thought it was only me, who thought cutting off their balls against their will is cruel.why would you want to decimate them anyway?these islands only exist because americans where not aware of them until now.now they try to get their grubby little fingers on them and ruin them.they want to control control control.if you ask me, this world can't have enough cats.
***** TL;DR
Kitsunora I would love to hear how much you would love it if you were captured then castrated, spayed, neutered or whatever you want to call it. Then were kept in captivity for the rest of your life. I bet you would think it would be a bit cruel then. The idea that we humans somehow have the right to call it humane when castrating other animals is just ridiculous.
I personally dont consider animals to be at the same level of importance as humans, but dont pretend you are doing the cats any favours or its the humane thing to do.
Cutting a mans balls off has through most of human history been seen as the worst thing you can do to a man. Yet its still common practice when it comes to pets. Be honest at least and dont pretend you are doing it for the benefit of the cats.
0pforce They're kept in captivity so that cats don't over-populate the world. Plus, you call that island captivity? The cats get to explore more than I do in San Antonio, TX. Anyways, they're kept in "captivity" also because it'd cost money to move the cats.
I've always wanted to go to one of these islands, I've always loved animals especially cats and I was quite surprised that I didn't think of the fact that most of them are most likely sick, I'll do what ever I can to help the helpless innocent cats that live there. As soon as I'm an adult.
Annabelle, you can start now by volunteering at your local shelters. They always need help with cleanup, fundraising for supplies, not to mention animal socialization. Look around and you'll find ways! And all of that helping looks great on college applications....!
jema2609 I want to but the only time I have is during summer and I don't live by any shelters, just 4 different veterinary offices , the closest one I'm pretty sure just has dogs. I will try though.
I have considered same thing for some time. All the work you do with animals is good, for you also learn more about animal care.
As much as I feel bad for the sick cats, I wouldn't say they are "helpless." I think the local woman's perspective on the cats living naturally and dying naturally is a unique and eye-opening one. These cats are, for the most part, free. They are in an interesting position between domestic and feral. If humans intervene too much with vaccinations, we interrupt the natural flow of life going on in this cat population. It would be comparable to introducing our "advanced" medicine to a native tribe; you would ultimately decimate their culture by doing what you think is helping them.
i cannot imagine anyone who loves cats going to an "attraction" like this. with the cats being sick and un-neutered....an oddity at best, but not in the best interest of THE cats. it just proves that people will take any opportunity to make a buck without caring how they make it.
thank you cat lady, bless you for your work.
It's just Human Nature, in all its "glory": go see the hordes of kitty-cats and have a big AWWWW-moment, but don't take care about them. Shallow, shallow, shallow...
No one is "making a buck". The island had no tourist infrastructure, people just started showing up once they heard cats roam free in large numbers. No one wanted the tourists and no one is trying to sell anything. This is a tiny island of several dozen mainly elderly people. If anything it shows that people still view animals as entertainment without giving a damn for their welfare.
so it doesn’t mean they don’t necessarily care abt the cats welfare it’s just too many to treat all of them
I think
I just foster kittens and have foster fails every now and then.. I currently have 3 cats.
The grey and white cat at the tail end of the video is absolutely adorable:)
I, too, assumed that the locals cared about the welfare of the cats on the islands. The human population may not have set out to create a tourist attraction, but it happened and they are now willfully exploiting the presence of the cats for financial gain, expanding businesses and travel capacity to the island for tourists. The "natural population, natural life cycle" line doesn't fly once you actively start doing things like buying a bigger boat so that you can bring over more people, and building new cafes for them. It seems the residents don't necessarily mind being a tourist attraction, they just don't want to invest the resources to care for what's bringing in the tourists.
If they're going to now exploit the presence of the cats, it seems only right that they now have to assume some responsibility for their health and also responsibility for managing the population through TNR programs, not just through allowing kittens to become sick and die from unchecked illness. I'm glad that you're bringing to light the reality of the situation. People need to know just how bad things are there for so many of the cats, and also that the humans don't care. It's deeply troubling and upsetting, and I hope that word spreads
Sounds right, and I'm a cat advocate. At the same time, I was thinking recently, why, other than cats being predators, do people try to intervene with cats so much? Comparing to, for example, deer or rabbits? They live in the wild and survive winters on their own without medical treatment. The most humans do is anti-care; they hunt them! I think it would be nice if the island were managed as a huge, outdoor cat cafe. Cats helping the economy, the economy should then help the cats!
shuumai Why do people monitor cats so closely? Because unlike deer, cats are not a wild animal - they are a feral one.
KT O Cats are not fully domesticated. That's why they can so easily revert to their wild side. They are both prey and predator, tame and wild, independent and interdependent. That's partly why I like them so much, I think.
I think it's so awesome that they basically domesticated themselves. I guess that's probably why I don't like dogs very much, they were bred to have an absolute need to be close to humans basically ALL THE TIME. I like cats because they love you but keep their distance most of the time until they want the pets. (:
Well said.
Warriors confirmed
Suspecting Angel I know right.
Suspecting Angel all the Clans becoming one
Suspecting Angel I have found my people
YESS!
Suspecting Angel yasssss
Thank you for your strong message and devoted advocacy for these cats. So much awareness and action is needed to help their plight. I am inspired by your compassion and courage to lead others.
I would agree with you..
So sad :'(
I see many cats in your vids are having eyes infections..
Aren't there any cat lover community in japan who can do something?
@Me talking about stuff With me well if nobody helps the cats won't see either
OMG these kitties need to be fixed and better taken care of. Poor kitties ☹️
Yeah I know : (
Agreed
Yh
thanks for sharing and bringing awareness to this issue. japan is a beautiful country and most of those cats look pretty healthy. considering their situation. its sad to see they are living this way and are continuously growing in population with no care. hopfefully they will get the attention they deserve love your videos
Oh, I just noticed... How many of those cats look over-weight? People who "care" for their cats also end up causing health problems for their cats just by how or what they feed them. Partly also by confining them to a house without enough activity.
***** I think the best relationship that humans can have with cats is a mixture of helping them sometimes and leaving them alone sometimes. Just like a relationship between friends. They don't want to be 100% domesticated and owned like dogs.
SirenSea_Reviews_Aquariums It is natural that they live there.
SirenSea_Reviews_Aquariums 69 Likes ;)
I would have expected the Kitten Ladie would show even the worst cases. But what would you expect? They are supposed to be "wild" cats, since there are no humans living on that island anymore. Of course there will be sick cats, dead cats and wounded cats.
Very nuanced video on what occurs. Thanks for taking the time to investigate with a critical mind but also to be open minded about the situation. I hope this message reaches a lot of people to raise awareness of the situation.
I love cats so much this just breaks my heart seeing all these cats here,I have a cat he is a Bombay cat I also had one that died. 😿 r.i.p
Rip kitty 💔☹️😞
As a vet student I would love to go there and took care for them as a vet. This is sad but not surprising
I would love to see more vets like you leading the way to a better life for these cats.
With dedication of this sort, it can be good for cats and tourists alike.
I wish someone will help those cats
Gm Thode Maybe one day instead of "I wish" it will be an "I know"!😋
Gm Thode Vets in training go there and do checkups on the cats.
Gm Thode help them then
@Becoming Godsize
No need to insult. He's a person learning like the rest of us.
1 - Thank you so much for this eye-opening video! I think most people assume they are cared for and loved, without realizing how much more they need.
2 - As a Manx momma, I was so happy to see some short tailed felines AND to see that no one was surprised by this! It’s a little thing, but it brings joy!
I love your videos! After watching this, I’m curious how much you might know about Manx cats, and if you could share any of your knowledge? We found our little girl (our second cat) when she was a week old and is now going on 3 years! She is an orange tabby rumpy Manx named Pumpkin. The medical differences we’ve learned about have really been interesting! We didn’t realize how much of an impact not having a tail has on the rest of her body.
Thank you for all of your insightful videos! 😸
wow, i had no idea. i have always wanted to visit too. i assumed that because it was a popular destination all around the world, these cats would be healthy, well-cared for and spayed or neutered. its heartbreaking. i'm so glad that you have raised awareness on this matter even though this was 3 years ago. people will continue to acknowledge these facts because of amazing people like you. i really hope with all my heart that they did something to improve these situations now in those cat islands. and if anyone knows if they did then please let me know. and if they didn't i hope they will in the near future and i will do my best to raise awareness too.
thank you so much for what you do.
I want to live on a Cat Island and just...
Freaking hug them all.
angsty teen same lel
I wanna do the same
I found this video quite upsetting. I've met people before, in my own country the UK, who believe animals should not receive medical attention and should be left to die 'naturally' - these people were elderly and this view seems to be dying out, the sooner the better. These cats aren't really wild anyway, their ancestors were domesticated otherwise they wouldn't be so friendly to people, and living in such close proximity to humans and being so tame, we have a duty to help when we see they need it. We are supposed to be custodians of this planet, taking care of it, and the other animals we share it with. We are all evolving together, as humans become less aggressive and more loving and compassionate the planet will change and so too will the animals. When animals are kept in the wild, they are ruled by fear, this holds us all back from evolving.
Victoria A Beeching that is awful i hope Those animals receive some help and those people change their mind ...
Victoria A Beeching
I have never met people who think like that. I am also in the UK and everyone I know believes all animals need medical care. Maybe we are in different parts of the country, I am from Cornwall but am now in Bristol.
There are far more feral animals in the US compared to here. Whenever I have been there it's shocked and saddened me.
Victoria A Beeching I agree with you 100% well people like that don't need to exist in this world just don't feed them and don't give them any type of proper medical and let them die that'll make less of them and make the world a little better without monsters like that
Mary D I think you'll cruel.
Do you mean every single animal should be domesticated,then? ?.?
I hadn’t heard of more than one cat island, and the one I heard of had all but 10 cats spayed and neutered. I expected a fun, sweet vlog. I didn’t realize how bad this was(not complaining about this vid). It really makes me want to help
Where my grandma lives there are tons and tons of stray cats and are very friendly whenever i visit i feed them scraps
If they build this cafe I hope a % of profits will be used for the health and welfare of all these beautiful fur-babies. I think it's utterly sad that the population over there do not believe these cats need any medical help. I would love to see a group of volunteering vets, veterinary nurses and additional support from general public could go out there and try to help/neuter etc. If everyone could give just 1 day think how much could be achieved. Would be fabulous. On a positive note how lucky are these cats to have such a beautiful location and be able to roam freely. I hope in winter they have warm, snuggly places just for extra comfort and there general wellbeing. Xx
To bad the human population is to small to do those things there..
Jem Houston stewart lost me at " furbies "
Jem Houston stewart while the Japanese would be one of the very few people that I would trust with doing that, I honestly don't see it happening. it is very sad
K G Well, it is a Island with only 85 People in it, and only 15 of them are Young. This is why they can't fix it by themselves.
While friendly, they're on the same level as other wild animals there...do y'all think coyotes need as much vet care? That sounds kinda condescending, but I just don't understand all the ppl saying this and not mentioning spaying/neutering to control a healthy, aging population.
They should use profits from the new ferries to pay for veterinary care
Breaks my heart. Ive always wondered the questions you addressed.
Thanks for telling the real story and letting people know how to help. Look forward to hearing that things are getting better for kitties!
The problem is that cats aren't really wild animals, they are reliant of humans. That's how they have been evolving and even breeded. They aren't part of natural fauna of Japan so they can't live naturally without humans.
Panda lolno
Well, the cat idland says otherwise
Panda PRECISELY why that japanese "cat lover" ladys weaksauce "natural" argument was total bullshit
Halimah Jedani Actually there has been many studies on whether or not cat's are domestic animals. Humans don't teach Cats how to hunt, nor do they teach them how to walk or communicate. Cats have become house pets over the recent years, but what about outside cats? Farm cats? Feral cats. Studies have been going on for years whether or not Cats are actually reliant on humans and many have found that Cats actually have learned to USE us instead of actually NEEDING us. So, maybe in Japan, the people believe that Cat's are very natural because in Japan Cats are extremely important to their culture. Cats are a sign of good luck and are used as symbols for many things such as fortune. Japan sees cats as something that is as natural as the grass, because cats have been around them for many, many years. In fact, Asia had cats before most people. So, In Japan, in their culture, they probably see cats as a VERY natural and therefore the reason why the lady was saying that cats live and die naturally in Japan.
Halimah Jedani I don't think she believed that, she was just explaining what the people on the island believed
When I die I want to be buried in a cemetery full of cats
Eva Doodles when a die I want to be baried at cat island at the cat cematery
YES
Eva Doodles
Same! I love cats
Honestly the cutest thing I’ve heard all day
You mean cats are hanging around in the cemetary, or you mean cats are buried there too?
Thank you so much for that insight on that travel destination and it's current situation.
You are probably the first real video I have seen about this.
Hopefully this wont turn into a bigger crisis for these cats
I love how Hannah is just casually feeding that little kitten baby!!So cute!🥰😍
I don't think letting them live and die naturally is cruel BUT these cats are pretty much an attraction, think of the island as a cat petting zoo. if ANY zoo let their animals get sick and leave them sick then people would be in an up roar about it. so I think the island should at least try to keep their cat population healthy.
This isn't a zoo or attraction. The island is deserted except for a few elderly people and has no tourist infrastructure. They never wanted tourists and have nothing for sale. Didn't you watch the video?
So sad :(
Cats are a domesticated species, which means they are our responsibility. Accordingly, we are responsible for regulating their reproduction.
rawsammi theres a cat with a louis vuitton necklace
Val O'Brien with how overpopulated they are there is no way we'd even be able to neuter all cats everywhere. Whats important is being able to neuter the ones we can.
I bet your gonna hit 1M soon and I can’t wait until u do u are a brilliant UA-camr and well deserving of that title I am a huge cat fan and I own two myself so it’s brilliant to hear what u have to say as when I take what u teach us all into account it helps me do so much to make my cats happier so thank you have a nice day 👌👍
My shelter and I just TNRd over 30 cats on a nearby cat island!! Thank you SO much for making this video. Some of the orphaned kittens we took to the shelter are really sick, but the locals consider them a nuisance and chase them away. Many people don't even neuter their pet cats here, so it's really helpful to have a video like this.
Thank you so much for the information! I truly thought people tock care of the cats on these islands, but I guess I was wrong :( I'll be sure to visit the website that you recommend!
Thanks for watching it, Emily!
No problem
Kitten Lady are u vegan? becuase if a kitten needs care so do chicks and calfs... they process hurts all animals.... you would never eat a kitten would you? Most of the time it's the calf's and chicks and the piglets that you can consume. this situation you discussed in the video is a little bit like to SeaWorld world as well. Extremely sad
Denae Rangel actually cats need proteins not found in most vegan/vegetarian substitutes. Also felines are natural born hunters
you don't actually eat calfs,chicks and piglets.that makes no sense from a business prospective cause there isn't enough meat on young animals.
it's mostly adult animals that are just about to reach the age where their body breaks on them.cause they are meant to produce a lot of babies and live fast lives.
fun fact pardon turkeis die before the next turkey is pardoned and actually dies rather painfully as well.cause farm animals don't age gracefully.
messed up fact peta is known to lie and wants to kill all animals since they don't think animals have a right to life.
This actually surprised me. I always wanted to go there but not after seeing the real deal on this video. I always assumed they were well taken care of :(
That doesn't mean you can't go there~! They should set up an organisation to meet the needs of the cats on the island that people can donate to if they go there.
Thanks kitten lady, my dream was visiting one of those cat islands thinking since I'm a cat lover that would be paradise, but now you've made think critically about issues I haven't taken into consideration. This video opened my eyes to the reality these cats are living.
Thank you for going there and showing what it is really like for these cats. I hope that the Japan Cat Network can find a way to run a TNR program for the islands. It would be great if some of the vets would volunteer some time time to go there and treat the sick cats. I have two cats I rescued a couple of years apart, both have feline herpes and you have to take care of them. The first one I got as a kitten looked a lot like the one you showed when I got her, she was so sick, it took a couple of back to back treatments to get her to 100%; she's done great since then though. And she's 4 now.
What's wrong with their tails it's like some of them had deformed tails? As a cat lover I find the island interesting but now I feel sad inside because I know those cats are not well taken care of.
UnicornLove they are Japanese bobtail cats, like Hello Kitty. check out cats 101 for more info
Verde830 so it's just a type of cat breed? I thought it was a deformation due to poor health.
Some cats has deformed tails that look like theyre broken because there was not enough space in a womb.
Vickey The Music Addict oh okay that makes sense. Yeah it doesn't seam to effect their quality of life but it looks worse then it is. I was thinking incest or some of them got into a hell of a fight.
I'm sure there are cases where it's a birth defect, but more often than not it's because of their breed that they lack tails. For another example of a tailless breed, see the Manx Cat, which originated from the Isle of Man near the UK.
The cats were never meant to overpopulate. They were meant to get rid of rats. The cats were left feral, hence the reason why they are not "fixed" or given vaccinated. If cats are to be near people, they should be taken care of. Dead animals make for unsanitary conditions for human living, and the cats shouldn't be suffering either.
barbaro267 I totally agree with you
Hey man
barbaro267 I agree plus cats shouldn't be "fixed" that is changing nature it self.
King Namor 777 it is actually healthier for them to be spayed or neutered
They should. Because Cat-Overpopulation is a very very BAD thing for Nature. Cats are often an invasive species and if they reproduce to much it can be disatrous to the Bird and Rodentpopulation.
Cats d not belong in Most of these Places. So yes. They should be ALL Fixed.
Thanks so much; I'll take your word for it, along with the video you shot. I may go someday (bc it's an interesting concept), but this year is much too soon, it'd seem. Thank you for shedding some light on this issue.
Found this vid today. Hope the island folks have made efforts to improve. Meanwhile recently found a stray cat near my home who wasn’t well. Just took it immediately to the vet ASAP. It’s a happy catto now. Just gonna say that if you can make a change, smallest possible. It’s good enough and better than doing nothing :3
About me being a cat lover, I don't know if this is a dream or a nightmare?
yeah i know right?
This is very typical in Hawaii, everywhere you go or look there are feral cats . Kittens get dumped everywhere and kittens get put down daily by human society or just people. Kids aren't taught to respect them so they throw kittens in the street in some areas. That is how i have Bones he was found thrown in the street by my son. And so he tries to save them but vet care in Hawaii is expensive.
No one cares!! People have found dead cats at the beaches that were used for bait and drowned!! No one teaches anyone to respect them. Hawaii is just not the paradise people think it is. 😒
Very sad but true. That’s why I worry about my cat.
Do you speak English in Hawaii?
Pastel x Yes, English is Hawaii’s main language. Hardly anyone I know living here speaks Hawaiian, actually.
That's so strange. When I was a kid I feel like I knew that it was messed up to treat an animal like that... I guess its how you're raised.
@pastel x I know I’m replying to an old conversation but I thought I’d provide some numbers: while the two official languages are English and Hawaiian, less than 0.1% of the population are native (1st language) speakers of Hawaiian, and fluent 2nd language speakers is still only somewhere around 2%. A far more common lengua franca is [modern] Hawaiian Pidgin English- a misnomer for what is actually an English based creole language and not a true “pidgin”: about 2/3rds of the population speaks that to varying degrees as either a 1st or 2nd (or 3rd) language, often switching between pidgin and regular English depending on the situation and setting.
Thank you for bringing something so serious to light
You should visit Istanbul in Turkey. There are cats everywhere and locals are taking care of them.
Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople~
edit* I had to im sorry xD
Yess!
@@joannageorge5900 I'm pretty sure she knows that already
I wouldn't be able to go without crying the whole time... 💔
this is so sad!!Thank you for spreading the word!!
I knew about the islands before but was never aware of any of this. Thank you so much for making this
Seeing this would make me so sad! They need a vet stationed on the island.
I understand what she says about the natural life and death of the cats, but it would be much happier for the cats to have treatment and be spayed/neutered. Tourism can help support money for it as well.
Agreed! There are ways to manage the population that are far less grim than relying on kitten mortality. TNR is a great solution.
Kitten mortality is the reason why cats have so many kittens at one time. Yes, it would be nice to help them, but are people wrong not to? I recently saw a video in which a bird captured a kitten. My thought was, why aren't you helping the kitten instead of recording it?! But as the person said, this is nature. So, whether people help or not may not be a reflection of their level of care. Both can express a respect for life and nature. (Without food, the bird may die.) However, human intervention causes problems which humans should help to address. Cats are great, but they weren't meant to be everywhere and fed by humans on a regular basis. That is what we need to deal with.
shuumai give me a break, human beings would not have evolved to farm and create civilisation if it were not for cats. You don't just let mans best friend get eaten by a freaking bird. Cats are domesticated, they are not wild. Ffs disgusting
what kind of fucking psychopath lets a bird hunt a kitten.
Actually, not me. Today my cat brought a bird in the house and released it. It flew to a window. I caught it and had the pleasure of releasing it and seeing it fly away like a rocket. I was surprised it didn't struggle. I did it quick to keep its stress from spiking too high. And I wouldn't let a bird get away with a kitten, either!
My mum watches you on Instagram and I watch you to but I didn't know you had a UA-cam channel. I love what you do with cats and to cats, helping them out no matter what
The sadness of that island I’m so glad you are informative and showing people what’s going on people need to be taught how to treat animals
I'm so glad you shared this! I always thought that "cat islands" were sanctuaries for feral or stray cats that operated with spay and neuter vaccinations and vet care! I'm so sad that it's completely the opposite!
Most people will see a Island full of cats....
I see a Island full of Warrior Cats.....
sozzy simba Same, gdi.
sozzy simba Me too😻#WARRIORS4LIFE
Pringle . Same!!I was even like "oh you look like Firestar or you look like Sandstorm".
Lion Pringle but if they were warrior cats they would be trying to fight the two legs would they not?
Lion Pringle that's what I thought. Totaly.
reality is lemons and the internet's my lemonade
Alyssa Sosa Wasabi
Shawn
Alyssa Sosa cat island YASSSSSS
Burnt rice😮
I agree.
Thank you for spreading awareness about this island. I'm happy to hear that there are groups helping out these furry friends.
Kitten lady the stuff you do for all cats is amazing. Your awesome
So glad that you were so honest about your experience. These islands are always fantasised by the media and people, including me, get caught up in the idea of 'cat paradise'. So I'm thankful that you've shed light on the not-so-fantasy side of the island!
Thanks so much.
very interesting video.. but why don't you produce a second version of this video with Japanese subtitles so that potential Japanese cat welfare advocates might become aware of the issue?!
Praying for more kind of people like you who loves and take care cats ....me and my daughter has 17 cats at home 9 are indoors and the rest stay outside the house and us feed them regularly ...thanks for this video
It's also nice to know that there are other people as passionate about cats as Kitten Lady. That means there are others throughout the world that take care and rescue cats. I personally love cats, so this is a great comfort to me.
Thank you for sharing. I am a cat lover but also have volunteered at shelters. I had heard of these islands but something about them never sat right in my stomach. I always volunteered in Shelters of cities that have care for when it is kitten season. I can't imagine what it might be like at these islands without our care. Some of my friends will share the images of these places and I would respond oh how cute but I never would say anything else because I don't know. I now know about these places through this and I can share my knowledge. I want to do more like you have by showing that I love cats more than wearing a silly sweater with them on it. I want to be an advocate for their safety and survival in this world. So again Thank you! I am sharing this.
Thank you for sharing it and for wanting to be a cat advocate. I have a lot of information on my site about how to help cats and kittens at KittenLady.org/gettingstarted
Cat islands is what nature would do to cats in the wild. Its a harsh life, but thats just how nature is. You dont see people offering drinks to animals living in the desert either.
There are thousands of them because the food supply they have can apparently sustain that many. If they stopped feeding them, nature would find its own balance in a few seasons. Food equals population, that's how it works for all animals in the wild. Yeah they will be sick and starving, but that's how nature deals with overpopulation. And cats are absolutely native to that kind of environment, just not with that many of them. People should simply stop pampering them like they are domestic cats, and nature will take care of the rest. Whatever is left after a winter or two, is what that island can support.
Also, Dodos were evolved to living on an island without predators, so when the sailors found them, they were easy prey. Thats how they went extinct. Completely irrelevant to cat island though..
tortoises are extinct??????!!!!!!!!!! what when l didn't think they would because last l check there were heaps on this planet.
Cats are domesticated, they aren't wild animals.
Cats aren't really that domesticated, not in the way dogs are. We actually liked most of their wild attributes, and for many ages, cats were allowed to be semi-wild animals that killed unwanted animals for us. We selected the ones most open to being friendly to humans, but really, cats still have quite a wild soul.
Cats are not domesticated. Behaviorally altered, yes, but genetically they're still very closely related to wild cousins.
Cats are not dogs.
Thank you for your coverage on this!
Great story! You are excellent reporter!
So if you sterilize all the cats... how do you get more cats?
Braden Walker From feral cats of others parts of the countrie, maybe even get they own breeder who takes care of the population control.
Braden Walker /music plays
Well, people who don't want their cats anymore and don't want to be tracked by animal shelters will take a boat to the island and abandon the cats there.source: people abandon their rabbits in the fields where I live and now they are everywhere.
Liz Lee it's different for a human and cat. Sterilizing a human against their will has been proven to cause severe mental illnesses, and in some cases, suicide. Logically, it makes sense, but in practicality, it's dehumanizing and humiliating for an individual. In general, humans forced to perform anything against their will or have something done to them against their will causes great cognitive distress. Read studies on it....it's as inhumane as it gets. ESPECIALLY if one person was chosen over another to be sterilized, like how is one person more worthy than another to pass on their genes? What authority would be in charge of reaching that verdict? It seems super corrupt and inherently unfair
You don't. You sterilize the cats and stop profiting off of a wildly overpopulated and sick cat community in the name of tourism
This was so wonderfully informative. Thank you! I was so intrigued by the idea of cat islands but also skeptical as I've seen how things we glorify as a amazing in other countries are being trampled and ruined by tourism. As a fellow cat lover I appreciate you taking the time to show people that it's not all sunshine and rainbows, but in a non-aggressive way. Anyway, awesome job :)
I would love to live on one of these kitty islands and help take care of the kitties!!!!
Thank you for ur responsible reporting
k, warrior cat lovers! what should this clan be called?
Ariana Bedell
Some ideas:
SeaClan, BeachClan, WaveClan, IslandClan, etc.
Echo in the Mirror I think Seaclan sounds super cool.
Seaclan sounds good.
I love seaclan!
Ariana Bedell ISLANDCLAN
Places like this need to look to DINGO in Venice as an example of how to deal with these problems.
Your an amazing person I swear we need more people like you
Once I'm financially able to I will definitely support their efforts to help the kitties ♥
Im very surprised by the locals "thoughts" on the cats. I would have thought at the VERY least they would be doing TNR to help control the populations.
+Teresa Simpson.. What is so surprising about it? Not everyone has the same viewpoints as you or your culture. The Japanese are much more spiritual and think differently of cats than Westerners. Many people just like to let nature take its course whether it is good or bad.
Domesticated animals belong in someones home or on a farm and not left out in the wild to fend for themselves. By definition we humans are responsible for them.
Shane Kent you do know that humans did not "domesticate" cats, right? They are perfect wild survivors.
I loved this video. It really brought out a new perspective to what is happening on the cat islands. I totally agree that we need to focus on the health of the cats that live on the islands.
THANK YOU CATS ARE MY yoga,they bring me so much love!
I want to see Cat Island :3
So I can save them all :3
DiamondWolf stop writing :3
Jedwig lamb :3
o h m y g o s h y e s
Jedwig lamb Writing What? You can't stop.
me from doing anything >:3 ;3
Seems surprising they aren't caring more about the overpopulation problem humans are obviously responsible for causing. I feel like the income from tourism should be used to care for the animals.
This is sad, but it highlights for me that cats are actually an invasive species. There at least needs to be population control. One way is to let nature take its course, but then, humans interfere with that. So that leaves TNR. Beyond that, why not make life better for the cats as they make life better for humans?
shuumai
exactly! money they get from tourism should use that to help these poor cats.
The money they get from the tourism could be used to spay and neuter the cats to prevent overpopulation. Soon as the female kittens that are born reach 6 months of age they should be spayed. Male kittens I think can be neutered at an earlier age which will hopefully slow down the breeding process. I liked someone's suggestion of setting up a vet's office on the Island though.
JemStar That's a really good idea, & it doesn't even need to be 24/7. It could be a one day a week clinic. Something that a volunteer vet could visit to do the spay & neuters, chip, vaccines, & check on the sickly.
Lol yeah the humans FORCED the cats to have babies *sarcasm*
Poor kittens/cats!!! I’m about to cry..
Cat Island always fascinated me and I want to go visit there. Unfortunately it's not possible, so thank you Kitten Lady for showing us the island. : )