Nothing to add. Well perhaps I can say a few words. The video was made in the area of Causeway Bay, which is a station on the MTR network on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The station is between Wan Chai and Tin Hau stations on the Island Line. I can tell because if you look in the background at the end of the video you’ll a sign saying Causeway Bay Station.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1084031087859232768
So we know that it is Hong Kong. This tall man is an exhibitionist and he seems to have adopted a cat to service his exhibitionism. Exhibitionist is “a person who behaves in an extravagant way in order to attract attention”. Yes, that’s this guy.
Dangerous?
He likes white and perhaps adopted his cat for that reason. Is it dangerous for the cat? It could be. The cat seems okay but what if he encounters a lot of noise or something else which frightens his cat? His cat could jump off and scram. That would be dangerous. As he is walking around a densely populated street with his cat on his shoulders, for his benefit, you could argue that he is being irresponsible in terms of cat caretaking.
In defence he’d probably say that his cat enjoys it and that he/she has never jumped off. And, of course, he is getting his cat some outside air and excitement. In short he is stimulating his cat. Okay there is a counter argument. However, he’s endangering his cat at the end of the day.
As for the sunglasses on his cat, most cat lovers won’t like to see that. We don’t like to dress up cats. It’s a minor abuse. He is a very tall Asian man. He stands out. He wants to stand out more and has made a big effort to do so. He does not want to be invisible. His cat helps in that quest.
The cat
So what’s the cat? We don’t know. There are no white cat breeds other than the Khao Manee and this cat is not one of those. So the cat is probably an all-white Persian. The cat looks like a modern, flat-faced version but not too extreme. The Persian is probably the best known cat breed in the world. In Asia it is probably the favorite cat breed in general.
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Horses predictable in crowds?
Horses are classed as a dangerous animal, specifically for their unpredictability. This is a survival mechanism as a prey animal.
Police horses, in the UK, even though they are specifically selected for temperament, are trained intensely for months before being allowed on crowd duty.
Even then, they are ridden in double bridles (they have two bits, one a curb, one a simple snaffle) sometimes the snaffle bit is a gag bit which is very severe. The police riders use spurs too. Spurs cause neuropathy and insensitivity in the flank area where they are used. Double bridles are very severe in the wrong hands.
All this is based on the notion that causing pain is the “best” way of controlling equines. The police justify the use of such equipment citing the imperative to control the horse at all costs.
Abroad, police horses are often ridden in long shanked curb bits which can easily wreck equine mouths and high neck vertebrae. Sometimes, bitless bridles are used, which clamp down on the nasal passages of the horse and cause pain to the very sensitive muzzle area.
I’ve seen police horses out of control in extreme and less extreme crowd situations. It is inevitable that it will happen at times. Never mind how much pain is caused to the horse in the name of “control” Fear & the startle response, will trump everything.
It is time that the police quit using equines, everywhere.
On closer inspection it does appear that there might be a vertical elastic band around the cat’s head behind the ears to hold the glasses in place. Also it’s possible the cat is wearing a harness because the fur is so long we just can’t see it. It’s possible. Just saying. So the worst I can say I guess is that it’s not a good example of how most people should spend their time with their cat. Unless they take obvious safeguards, it’s a special activity requiring special handling. And I agree it’s indulgent, but the cat seems to like it. If THAT is the main deal, I’m more okay with it than not. 51%/49%.
He doesn’t seem to be getting much attention from other pedestrians other than the one taking the video. Sure, he likes to stand out, as does anyone who considers themselves outgoing and stylish. The cat looks very relaxed and is draped completely around his neck, so I’d say that should his cat feel anxious to the point of making a break for it, he’d feel it and be able to grab her. She’d probably give him that opportunity and he likely keeps an eye out for potential trouble. They’ve probably done this before and could handle it, so I’m not too troubled to see this. The sunglasses aren’t normal and I’d argue uncomfortable for cats… they simply aren’t made for cat heads, unless they ARE made to fit a cat. I’ve seen special goggles that protect cat’s eyes who ride motorcycles, which is a degree far above this stunt. The glasses might just help the cat be relaxed in this situation though, by helping her feel like she’s hiding a little bit, and perhaps the sun is an issue there. I’m not as quick to condemn this behavior, but it’s not something I would do unless the cat really seemed to like it. I’d just have a harness on them because cats aren’t as predictable in crowds as say dogs or horses.