Kitten Killer Criticized

[Mulboyne]

Asahi: Reader uproar over cat-killing confession
Award-winning author Masako Bando has triggered a furor by admitting in a newspaper column she killed newborn kittens. In the article, Bando, 48, who lives in Tahiti, French Polynesia, said she disposes of newborn kittens as a way to stem the growing number of stray cats that live on the island. She said her deed is the same as having cats sterilized. As of noon Thursday, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, which published the piece as part of its "Promenade" column in its Aug. 18 evening edition, said it had received 508 e-mail messages and 88 phone calls, mostly criticizing Bando. According to officials of the business daily, known also as the Nikkei, many readers found the column disgusting or said they couldn't understand how Bando could do such a thing...more...

[Taro Toporific]

Asahi: Reader uproar over cat-killing confession
....she disposes of newborn kittens as a way to stem the growing number of stray cats that live on the island. She said her deed is the same as having cats sterilized....

Japanese hate to euthanize suplus kittens and consider more humane to abandon them in the park, train station or graveyard to "meet their karma."

Still this all sounds like a bad Fark cliche....

[Greji]

Japanese hate to euthanize suplus kittens and consider more humane to abandon them in the park, train station or graveyard to "meet their karma."

Still this all sounds like a bad Fark cliche....

This was old hat for many years in the US. When the cat showed up in your yard, garage, basement and sometimes, even your car, and littered out. The old folks would think nothing of dropping them directly in a gunny sack and straight into the nearest river or lake. This continued for many years until Animal Rights people got involved to see that all parts of the cities and countrysides would be overrun by pets discarded to the wild.

I live in the mountains outside of Tokyo and unique J-people who are so kind and understanding will drive up the road in front of my place get out, dump cat, kittens, any other pets, and boogie. Unbelievably, they will usually leave a dish with food, which apparently resolves them of all need to feel sorry or any other legal responsibility. This is near the mouth of the Tama River and very close to the river itself, but they will also leave water, being the thoughtful humans that they purport to be!

The dogs will soon die because they cannot fend for themselves in the wild in mountains and especially if they are not gregarious enough to show up on someone's door step to be taken in.

Cats are hunters and being individualists will survive, but the large amount of feral cats in West Tokyo all have herpes and other deseases that will soon polish them off. It is sad, but in the comomon logo of the country, "Shoganai". I guess that's how it is supposed to be viewed!

[GomiGirl]

Dumping kittens or drowning them is terrible. There are a heap of shelters that can be used for either finding the cats a good home or euthenising them. Karma smarma.. it seems that dumping them is just avoiding the problem and putting them in Mr Boothes back yard which is just not neighbourly.

I got my cat from a temple when she was either abandoned or born to a feral cat. She was just 6 weeks old and would have probably died or become another feral cat... she is a fighter. First thing that I did was have her desexed. People need to neuter their cats!!! Feral cats are terrible for the environment and are a dammed annoyance.

[Tommybar]

It is popular to start a hunting season when certain animals start to over run things...

'Cat Season'? Sign me up!

[Greji]

'Cat Season'? Sign me up!

That's just horrible! Cat's really aren't that bad! Especially with soy sauce!

[Iraira]

Damn beastly things are horrible. Those of us with allergies to cats have to make sure they are properly skinned and gutted before slicing them up prior to flambe. Yakineko anyone?

[GomiGirl]

Damn beastly things are horrible. Those of us with allergies to cats have to make sure they are properly skinned and gutted before slicing them up prior to flambe. Yakineko anyone?

Feral cats are terrible.. but cruelty is not required.. I am not a big tree hugger type but still there is no need to be gross.

[Iraira]

Feral cats are terrible.. but cruelty is not required.. I am not a big tree hugger type but still there is no need to be gross.

You are correct. Kinda hypocritical of me as I am also sadly allergic to alcohol. Being so, I have never skinned or gutted a beer, so I suppose I should apply the same simple avoidance strategy to cats.

[Tommybar]

[ATTACH]2185[/ATTACH]

My buddy does not like cats either, he complains that they piss and shit everywhere, they multiply (was 1 now 4...), loud when in-heat, and climb all over the vehicals in the parking lot leaving mud prints all over...
Those are the dishes his neighbor fills every morning and night...He has asked her to stop, but she looked at him with this hateful look and asked 'Don't you like ANIMALS?'

[CrankyBastard]

I've got nothing against cats.
If it weren't for the neighborhood cats, my dog wouldn't get any exercise.

[Greji]

Feral cats are terrible.. but cruelty is not required.. I am not a big tree hugger type but still there is no need to be gross.

Actually, I really do like cats; However, I can't eat a whole one!

[Tommybar]

Well, as much as I hate to admit it...there is a special place in my heart for cats.

I do find times when I REALLY want to hear the sounds created by a cat and am lonely for it. It is when the cat is STRUNG across the front side of a shyamisen (三味線）.

[Mulboyne]

Mainichi: Kitten-killing novelist defends actions

I'm not very good with people. I get tense and nervous when I'm around others, and it's difficult for me to love other human beings. That's why I keep cats. The love that ordinarily would be directed toward other people is given instead to my pets. This allows me to maintain a world in which there is at least some form of love. It is because of my pets that I'm able to prevent my "fountain of love" from running completely dry. The reason I keep pets, therefore, is purely for self-serving reasons. My cats serve as a mirror for me, for I can see myself through them. When I caress them, I'm caressing myself. And when I took it upon myself to kill newborn kittens, I was essentially killing myself. It was a truly painful and mortifying experience. But unless I do something about the new litter, the kittens will grow up in no time and produce young of their own. The house will become full of cats. I may not be able to feed them all, and the kitchen is sure to become a mess. And yet, I can't bring myself to get rid of all my cats...more...