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Is Ginza cat being abused by its owner?

6 Comments
By Casey Baseel

For years, Hachiko, the faithful Akita dog that waited every day outside Shibuya Station after its owner died at his workplace, has been Tokyo’s most famous animal. Recently, though, it seemed like cat-loving Tokyoites had found an animal celebrity of their own when a cat perched on top of a signpost in Ginza started drawing crowds.

Unfortunately, the scene has gone from heartwarming to heartbreaking with some sharp-eyed observers’ theory that the cat is in actuality being abused by its owner.

At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be anything sinister at all going on. Sure, it’s kind of a mystery as to just how the cat got up there, but cats are good at climbing things, aren’t they? And there’s just something so silly about the feline quietly staring down at passersby as they go about their business in one of the busiest neighborhoods of one of the busiest cities on the planet.

Who wouldn’t get a smile out of seeing that? And look, it’s even aware of just how fashion-conscious Ginza is, and came dressed up with what looks like a frilly collar.

But while pedestrians were snapping pictures to share with friends, a few people realized they’d seen this sort of thing before, when a cat was spotted in the boughs of the cherry trees of Ueno Park and in similar perches in Ginza. The mystery of how that cat got itself into those situations has been solved, though.

Witnesses say they saw the cat’s owner tossing the animal into trees too high for it to climb up into regularly. In the event that you’re not a terrible person and have never tried to throw a struggling pet, it’s apparently a difficult feat to pull off, so the owner attached a clip to the back of the animal’s neck that he could hold onto for a better grip, which he concealed by placing a hair scrunchy around it.

Some say the recently seen Ginza cat’s accessory is serving the same purpose.

If this new feline is indeed suffering the same treatment as the one from a few years ago, it’s likely that it’s not sitting atop the Miyuki Dori street sign because it feels like taking a nap or casually watching the beautiful people of Ginza as they stroll by, but because it doesn’t have any idea how to get down.

So while your first instinct may be to snap a picture to share online, what that cat may really need is help. If you spot it, inform the officers at the nearest police box. We’d recommend the same course of action should you spot its owner flinging it around., unless of course you just feel like slapping him yourself.

Source: Twitter

Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Eat not like a king, but like a cat at this cat food-themed restaurant in Japan -- “Damn it human, help me!” One cat’s epic battle with an empty plastic bag -- 500 cats & dogs legally killed in Japan each day, but one organization says ‘no more’

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6 Comments
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More conjecture than news

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I do agree. Japanese seems to love their pets much, but when is about to report an abuse, or at least to check what's going on, they hesitate much.. don't care. Poor cat.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I might say I was happy that some people are asking questions about the treatment of other animals, but, I see a score of people snapping "cute" pictures of a cat without realizing the cat did not get up there by itself and may want to come down but is afraid.

Good old oblivious Japan. Oblivious to everything, even your pain.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I’ve owned over 100 cats in my life and that is definitely not too far for the cat to jump down.   But the only way an owner would trust the cat to stay up there and not jump down and run off is if he put a clip on the back of its neck (which forces them to freeze), which is also why the cat has that garment around its neck (to conceal the clip).

Disgusting. If I see that cat up there I am definitely going to take it down, release the clip, and go to a Koban. The owner is obviously watching nearby but screw him if he tries to interfere. I would be arrested before I let him have the cat back.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The writer should be the first person to report this...crazy!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Shouldn't the fire brigade get a crane to lift the cat safely back down to the ground?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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