食事は玄関「もうダメかと」5年で90匹に…後を絶たないネコの"多頭飼育崩壊"防ぐためにどうすれば？ (20/04/05 14:00)

Before you know it, one cat has become dozens... Cases of cats living in poor conditions being rescued as a result of so-called "multi-cat households" go awry are endless. What emerges from the scene are SOS calls from their owners that go unheard. What is needed to prevent tragedies? Cats so overflowing that you can't see where you're standing. This is footage from the scene of a cat household collapse in Sapporo. Reporter Kamata Yusuke: "The home was home to 90 cats, but even after cleaning, they keep defecating, so it's impossible to clean up, and the air is filled with a piercing ammonia smell." The cat household collapse occurred in a home where a woman in her 60s lives alone. Cat feces and urine were scattered everywhere in the living room and kitchen. Even the owner, a woman, is unable to lead a normal life. Female owner: "This is where he eats. Eat quickly around here." Reporter Kamata Yusuke: "Is it here?" Female owner: "It's at the entrance to our house. If I eat there, everyone else will come and eat." Furthermore, when she went out because of the cat's smell, an unimaginable incident occurred. Female owner: "I take the bus to work now, so it's really smelly. It was really bad at first. I got really into it on the bus. An older lady sprayed me with it on the bus." She even got sprayed with deodorizing spray. What led to the collapse of her multi-cat household? It all started about 10 years ago. She and her husband started raising a stray cat. The woman suggested to her husband that they have the cats spayed, but... The owner: "My husband was against it, and firmly refused, saying it would be even more cruel to neuter them. He was very bossy. If they didn't listen to him, I was scared, so I couldn't say anything." After that, the number of cats they brought home increased to 10, and the number of cats increased when a female cat they had adopted without knowing she was pregnant gave birth to a male. Partly because she was often away caring for her husband, the number of cats swelled to 90 in just five years. Experts on cat reproductive ability... Maedani Animal Hospital Director Shigeki Maedani: "If one cat gives birth, that means there will be 20 cats in a year, about 80 in two years, and about 1,000 in three years. The kittens will have more kittens, and the number will increase rapidly in a short period of time." In December 2018, her husband passed away from illness. The woman says she realized the seriousness of her situation. Desperately grasping at straws, they found the Nyan Tomo Network. Nyan Tomo Network Representative Katsuta Tamami: "I couldn't tell the animal control center because I was afraid they would put them down. No matter where I went for help, there was no government support. I couldn't make a living, and neither could my mother." Owner: "I thought it was all over." Nyan Tomo Network Representative Katsuta Tamami: "Having 90 cats is a huge undertaking. Even if we have to perform surgery or whatever, we've finally taken a step towards a solution." All 90 cats rescued this time have been spayed/neutered and vaccinated, and new owners will be found through the control center. Only a few remain. Although they will receive support for some of the approximately 3 million yen in surgery and other costs, it is still a heavy burden. Female pet owner: "I wish I had never listened to my husband in the first place. Spaying and neutering is really necessary, for both the cats and the people." Two years ago, at least 33 cases of cat-bloc households were confirmed in Hokkaido. What caused these situations? The reality is that social support is missing. Katsuta Tamami, CEO of Nyan Tomo Network: "It's probably here. She said they were sleeping here." Last December, a female acquaintance who had visited Ebetsu City to check on the welfare of a man in his 70s who lived alone, found him dead on the sofa. The man's home, where he lived with 55 cats, remains untouched and in a state of disrepair. Reporter Kamata Yusuke: "A lunch box believed to be the man's last purchase was found at the entrance. None of the neighbors knew the man had 55 cats." The deceased man had no close ties with his neighbors, and his coworker had only spoken to him in November 2019 and was unaware of his death. Katsuta Tamami, CEO of Nyan Tomo Network: "He passed away." Male acquaintance: "When? What? He passed away?" Katsuta Tamami, CEO of Nyan Tomo Network: "Did you know he had cats last December? He had animals." Male acquaintance: "I knew he had three or four." Katsuta Tamami, CEO of Nyan Tomo Network: "He had 55 cats." Male acquaintance: "What? (When I last saw him in November) he was fine. He was at work. What a shame. He was young, so I wish he'd still been able to help out." The man and the many cats in his home went unnoticed by the neighbors. Furthermore, because the man had no serious illnesses or disabilities, he was not even considered a target for government monito...