Where are Japanese people’s vanity, self-centered and naive brains?

Although 99% of dogs spend their lives listless chain outside suburban houses, the last image in my mind of a Japanese pet owner, was some guy on a scooter dragging a greyhound by the neck by way of “exercise”. And don’t start me about wallabies being sold from the 4th floor of Osaka DIY stores to people who live in towerblocks.

They are an Asian cat unlike the most of the long tails which come from European cats, cats themselves not being native to Japan.

I agree with you about them being street cats now but once they were luxury pets, turfed out 400 years ago by Imperial edict to protect the silk crop from being eaten by pests they say. I do not know how mixed their genes are now.

Tortoiseshell on the other hand is not a breed, just a colour patterning although where the two collide, the Bobtail is highly prized … your original Miike lucky cat.

To be honest, this survey make me sad as it underlines how faddish the Japanese pet industry consumers are, and it is a very abusive industry.

Over 1,000 cats every day are gassed by the local animal “welfare” centers, many of them unwanted kittens from breeders or pet shops who were separated and put out for sale far too young, without water and under strong lights in TV style boxes, to milk the kawaii factor. They omit to give them water so they don’t pee and make their boxes smelly. If you ever wondered why they all seem to be “sleepy”, now you know why. But it does make the look cute, doesn’t it?

It is estimated that 90% of animals in the industry die before they are even sold and pet mills are unchecked and unregulated. There just is not any infrastructure to do so. Inbreeding is common, there is very poor management of pedigrees. In fact, it is such a problem that most reputable breeders in the West will not send animals to Japan. It is that bad.

If your friends want a pet, ask them to go to a welfare center or adopt a semi-stray. You won’t have far to look for one in Japan.