Lost Pets In Japan After Tsunami

Far too often when disaster hits, we only seem to think about loss in human terms. How many dollars (or Yen), who many people died or were injured, loss of income, or homes... but one year after the cataclysmic effects of the March 11, 2011 9.0 Magnitude earthquake, devastating tsuamni and subsequent radiation fears from near meltdowns at a nuclear power generating facility, it becomes increasingly obvious that we fail to note the effect it has all had on family pets and other animals.


While it is true that there has been immense human suffering in Japan, there is also an effect on the animals there.

I'm sure many of you have seen the touching scene after the tsunami of one dog refusing to leave his injured canine companion. It's heart-breaking, and lends new meaning to the term humane. I posted a link to this one back on March 18, 2011, but here's the video again:

Part of the problem arises after the disaster when human families were forced to seek habitation at a shelter - which not surprisingly do not allow pets. As such, these families were forced to leave their animal - pets - in animal shelters, where many still stay, awaiting the return of families or possible adoption. 

There are currently two animal shelters still operating in Fukushima - both of which cater to larger dogs and a ton of cats. Many of the smaller dogs had long ago been transferred to animal shelters in Tokyo.

Every day, workers seek out lost animals in the area. When these rescued and/or captured animals are FIRST found, they are scanned by a Geiger counter for radiation exposure. After being cleaned,they are brought to one of these two shelters.

Because even one year later families are still awaiting word from the government on when they can return to their home in the currrent No Entry Zone, these people and animals remain separated. There are reports that it may take some 30 years to remove the effects of radiation from the environment, which is a fact many pet owners are not able to face. Despite this, pet owners are retaining the ownership rights to their animals, because for them, the act of holding on to their beloved pets with the goal of one day bringing them home is the last glimmer of hope for a return to normalcy.

Though the earthquake occurred last March, the shelter workers could not rest until August because of the amount of animals that needed rescuing. Combine that with the radiation warnings that were all the rage back then, shelter workers often came to work in full protective clothing. But at least they came.

While the Geiger counter readings of animals brought into the shelter were normal, they suspect it was because these animals were found outside the 20 kilometer zone.

But with that, shelter worker also believe that many more animals remained within the zone, unable to escape, as many families simply chained up their pets expecting to be back home in a day or two from the pet-free human shelters. Instead, many of the animals who were left behind have long since died from a lack of food and water. That is a harsh reality of the situation.

Even now, no one talks about the natural wildlife that existed in the affected areas. The government of Japan has talked about doing long-term studies on this topic, but as of yet, nothing has been done.

And yes... excluding the video, all of the animals in the photos above are current residents of an animal shelter in Fukushima. Now go hug your dog and/or cat.
 
By Andrew Joseph

Bad Kitty!

Perhaps in an effort to stop that infernal caterwauling - though we at Japan - It's A Wonderful Rife doubt that is a concern - cat cafes in Tokyo are being spayed with a curfew.

Thanks to a revision of the existing Japanese Animal Protection Law that will begin on June 1, 2012, the public display of dogs and cats will not be allowed past 8PM, meaning cat cafes will have to lock its pet door early.

This is of some concern for cat cafe owners, as they make their money on the backs of cats Japanese workers often only leave work at around 8PM thanks to the fact they are afraid to leave any earlier. IN Japan, underlings lose face if they leave work before their boss - which can be problematic, as bosses often take a six-hour-nap starting at 2PM. The only way employees can leave early (before 8PM), is if the boss is off to meet his girlfriend early so his wife isn't too suspicious (She knows).

It's the post-work crush of people with cat scratch fever looking for pussy cat love that the cafes depend on - and that post-work crush may not even have started by 8PM, unlike the lazy Canadians and Americans who dare only work 9 to 5.

So... without an outlet to play with a purr pal, how will the over-worked young Japanese professional handle his or her stress? 

Look... this blog understands the need to not 'over-work' the animals... but these animals already are well taken care of... aside from the love and affection they are given by the paying customer (god! It's like visiting a hooker!) (So I hear), the cats at the cat cafe do shift work, meaning they only work for a few hours at a time before they have to be placed in another room away from customers so that they can relax, take a toilet break, stretch, yawn, lick themselves and perhaps choke up a furball. It's a good life, but I am unsure how much money they make.

What I'm getting at, is that at least the cats at the cat cafes seem to be well-looked after - and perhaps limiting the cats and their cafes to a mere 8PM is a miscarriage of law-making, and isn't fair to the cafe owners or their patrons.

Besides... the cats I have had (and have) tend to be more active at night... just saying, is all....

Does this also mean that cats and dogs appearing on television (live television) are limited to appearances before 8PM?

We'll assume the new law does not affect working dogs... the those working with a visually-impaired person or a drug-sniffing dog at the airport, but will affect dog shows and other posing events... perhaps even television commercials! Oh my dog! This revised law could takeseafood platters out of the mouthes of kitties! Oh the inhumanity!

Okay... I've had enough. I love my cat, but I am more of a dog person.

By Andrew Joseph

Cafe Fur Cats

Is this only in Japan? Probably. Though I bet someone in the USA starts one up soon.

Pussy lovers of world, unite!

Uh, scratch that... pussy cat lovers of the world, unite!

Because there's nothing a cat like more than going out with its owner for a coffee and a light snack, someone has created a new place to yowl... several of them in fact: The cat cafe.

Cat lovers can now spend time relaxing amongst their purr pals curled up beside them as they enjoy a steaming cup of joe... coffee, that is.

To be fair, the first cat cafe actually clawed in back in 1998 - in Taiwan. We here at Japan - It's A Wonderful Rife love pussy... cats but still we wonder if alcohol and a drunken bet may have been involved in the opening of the Taiwanese business.

But who knew? This has been a successful type of business, as a cat cafe opened up its pet doors in Osaka back in 2004.

Okay... it was kit-sch back then... but it really has caught on like a cat sitting on my chest sucking my breath. There are now 39 cat cafes in Tokyo alone. Thirty-nine. Just let that one sink in for a moment. Thirty-nine.

So... why start up a business like this? Well, according to Hanada Norimasa (surname first), for those renting an apartment in Japan, cats are not allowed. If you purchase a condominium - one for a family - then they are... otherwise, no pets. So... what is a young, single, lonely, pet-loving person to do? 

"This means that young, single-dwelling workers in their 20s and 30s can’t even think about getting any pets, despite the fact that they’re stressed out and are seeking comfort and companionship of some kind,” explains Hanada.

Handa knows what he is talking about, and decided to do a good deed and pull in a few yen as well. His Cat's Store (猫の店 Neko no Mise) in Tokyo is one of the most famous cat cafe's in all of Japan.

His (Hanada's) café offers 14 cats to the visitors (along with a selection of Japanese manga (comic) books, as well as standard cafe fare of tables, chairs, couches and scratching posts... though we are not sure about the scratching posts.

We are assuming that the cost of any food and drink is extra, but just to hang out at the cafe, the visitor is charged ~Cdn/US $1.50 for every 10 minutes, up to $21.50 for a three-hour period. It really is an indoor cat rental.

There are also niche cat cafe's for the discerning cat-lover likely to strut right by with their tale in the air at a common tabby white cat cafe, cat-ering to a  Black (cats) Only; Fat (cats); rare breeds or cats that were strays...

This blog has always found Russian Blues sexy...

As with any business, a cat cafe owner needs to get a business license and then obey all the rules and regulations regarding Japan's Animal Treatment/Protection Law. As well, cafe owners must ensure cleanliness... perhaps no open litter boxes... and have to ensure that the cats are not bothered by excessive attention, or are cool with kids. They must also be allowed their sleep time.

Really? You must allow a cat its sleep time? I have a cat... during the day, my cat sleeps about 21.47 hours a day! It's only awake at night to bite my toes while I sleep or to sit on my aforementioned chest to suck my breath and kill me.

Regardless, a cat cafe must also seek to promote cat awareness issues, such as abandoned and stray cats.

Your humble author applauds this cat-scratch fever initiative. I, unfortunately, while I do have a cat... it adopted me after I got married... I am allergic... especially to the real long-haired ones. A shaved pussy cat, however... I have no problem with that.

I'm unsure if I would pay to sit with a cat, however... I mean... you could just go behind the dumpster at a sushi restaurant and play with the cats there for free.

More Skank Blasting, In Honor Of TheDirty.com

She's Nasty!!!  Wow she is such a ho!  Omg, this hussy is all over town, whoring up the place!  I met her at a night club where she obviously thinks she's some kind of "Club Kid", wearing so much make-up!    ...Yeah, for serious, that's her the first time I met her... Obviously, since she's such a slut, she likes to act like she's bisexual, just for attention from guys!  Here's a pic of her and her ex-girlfriend who she totally F%#ked over!                                               One day, when her girlfriend was at work, she packed up her things and left!  She eloped with some dude and stole a bunch of cash from her girlfriend! ...And then, she thought it would be cool to post this pic of Facebook with all of her girlfriend's stolen cash!  What a b*#ch!   So then she runs off with this dude, who she's only sleeping with cuz he shares his Whiskas with her!!!    But she cheats on him all the time!!!  And she'll F$^k ANYTHING! Even dogs!!!  So, she started getting into drugs and stuff, cuz of her new boyfriend.  Now that she's hooked, she's been prostituting herself on Craigslist to earn enough money to keep up her habit.  Gross what a slut!  I found this picture of her online advertising her "escort" services:  I know she's been to rehab at least once, but she started using again.  Just a warning, I wouldn't F&*k her with out a condom, cuz this b#tch is all kinds of filthy!  The last time I saw her, she was looking completely strung out.  Yuck! She's nasty, and she needs to learn her lesson!