Are the Ipswich cat disappearances linked to an illegal trade in cat fur that is based in Belgium? I am speculating that the biggest cat welfare issue in the UK right now – the disappearance of over 100 cats from Ipswich and their apparent torture – is linked to an illegal market in cat fur. The cat and dog fur trade is a shockingly despicable and disgustingly heartless business. I won’t show a picture because they are simply too horrible.
My speculation is based on these facts (perhaps I am adding 2+2 to make 5 but I wish to flag up the possibility):
- One of a couple of cats that appears to have escaped or somehow survived the cat killers is described as having been tortured with his fur pulled out. I don’t know if this is relevant but it hints at the fur trade. In China they pull the fur out of living rabbits. In other words the rabbit fur is farmed.
- Ipswich is a port. It has direct shipping connections via the English Channel to Ostend, Belgium.
- In a Daily Mail article (not sure of the date) there is a reference to a furrier, Piet vander Eycken who operates from Belgium and I presume from a town on the coast, possibly Ostend, who brazenly declared that the bulk of his cats (for their fur) were brought from England on a ferry.
- There is an increase in criminal gangs in the UK. These gangs in my view are sometimes linked to the new European Union countries whose citizens have total freedom of movement throughout Europe. England is regarded as a place of rich and easy pickings and the cat fur market is lucrative.
The market in cat and dog fur is banned in Europe. On June 19th 2007 the European Parliament unanimously voted to ban the trading of cat and dog fur in European Union countries. The ban came into force on Jan 1st 2009.
However, there is a lot of illegal gang activity in the UK which goes unreported because it is politically incorrect to speculate that Britain is importing crime from continental Europe specifically from the new EU countries such as Romania and Latvia (just a couple of randomly chosen examples).
I have a genuine concern that the cat fur trade is back in England despite the ban. Banning something does mean it won’t happen. It is incredibly difficult to enforce such a ban.
Think about it. In England people let their cats wander outside. These cats are loved companions to their caretakers. To criminal gangs the cats are a crop to be harvested…..
Wrong Libby.
No dog is allowed unleashed in America.
If found, they are grabbed and taken to the county shelter and killed. The same is true for cats. Free-roaming cats are killed.
That’s one of the reasons why many U.S. caretakers have inside-only cats.
Oh I have trust me they are now all in and we got a new kitten 3 days ago do they not best pleased with me. But they let dogs run around in USA no problem we have them on leads
I know the culture in the UK is to let cats roam. In the USA they keep them in much more. Sometimes under extraordinary circumstances it is best to keep them in until you feel the danger has passed. Buy some cat teases (feathers on a stick) and other toys and try and keep them entertained until you believe it is safe for them to go out. Safety is the first priority of a cat caretaker. Thanks for commenting.
No but Elizabeth does. We are all very worried at the moment one of my cats hasn’t come home for his tea yet and his first in. It’s horrible to think someone could do this to the point we locking them in at nights. They are animals at the end of the day and we shouldn’t keep them locked up
Hi Libby. Thanks for commenting. Every major city in the UK has an underbelly and that is why I mentioned it. I am just speculating. I don’t think badly of Ipswich in particular. I think badly of people who hurt cats.
I live in Ipswich and we have lots of jobs thank you. We are not deprived or anything like that. Why must you all think badly off us