NEWS AND VIEWS: This is a little cat story from China of the type with which we are familiar for those of us who know what is happening in China in the cat world. The video shows two young boys broke into a pet store in Hangzhou, Zhejiang on July 19th, 2023. It is a very recent act of cat cruelty. The boys look like pre-teens to me. I think their age is relevant.
We are also told in a tweet than a stray cat visits the store and is fed there. One boy appears to believe that it would be good fun to grab the stray cat – who appears to be a kitten – and throw him/her around.
The cat was injured and the boys’ parents have been told what happened but did nothing about it. It is implied that the boys have done this before.
Youngsters abusing cats
This is very sad. When I see pre-teen youngsters indoctrinated into believing that animal cruelty is acceptable and even fun, it paints a very black picture of the future in China regarding animal welfare. There is little hope for the introduction of general animal welfare laws in that country. There are none in that country which strongly reflects on their culture. It is why there is the Yulin Dog Meat market and why there is the hell of cat meat and the cat and dog fur trade and much more. These would not exist if there were proper protective laws.
A lack of general animal welfare laws is a great failure. It is a big hole in Chinese legislation. And it can only be tolerated if the government and the citizens wish it. This is also a cultural failure. And it is very starkly out of step with all developed countries.
There are 1.4 billion people in China. At a wild guess there are probably 5 million people who are animal advocates; people concerned about the lack of animal welfare laws and the dog and cat meat industries and the tiger farms and so on in China. A tiny fraction of the citizens are concerned. What chance of changes?
No animal welfare means an uncivilised society
When people relate to cats in the same way that they related to them a thousand years ago, you’ll get animal abuse. This is what’s happening in China. A lack of animal welfare signifies a lack of development in civilised society. The world has become more civilised over the past 1000 years (until Putin invaded Ukraine!!). It is noticeable that the extremely uncivilised Putin (tyrant and mass murderer) gets on well with Xi Jinping, China’s president.
A civilised society takes care of the vulnerable. Animals are automatically vulnerable as they live in a human world. Their lives are dictated to by human attitudes. They are always vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
I have to conclude that China is uncivilised and will remain that way until they treat animals with decency and introduce enforced animal welfare laws as good as those in the West.
Note: China is not alone in respect of a failure of animal welfare. Countries like Mexico have animal welfare laws but they are largely unenforced which is no better and probably worse.
RELATED: articles on China on another website.
