Shanghai has a cat island and cafes for stray cats

China does not care about its many stray cats. That's why private cat cafes and Cat Island adhere to it. You read that correctly: Cat Island.

Not only do 25 million people live in Shanghai, but also between 400,000 and 1.5 million stray cats.

Some of these dogs live on Cat Island. There are over 400 cats roaming near Disneyland. It's a kind of playground, with grass tunnels and temples. A wooden bridge leads to an orchard – even former stray dogs have access to the horse stable.

All stray animals that have found a home on Cat Island can be adopted. There are also “cat cafes” in Shanghai where customers can befriend a cat and take it home with them.

But the island of cats and cafes has a sad background: the state does not care about cats, so it is private initiatives that take pity on them. This saves them from the conditions on the streets – or from people who want to kill them.

Cat adoption has become very popular in recent years, especially among the younger generation, says Erica Gu Washington Post. She runs the cat café More Meow Garden.

For many Chinese, owning a pet is actually unusual. Just a few generations ago, most people lived simple agricultural lives and many still viewed animals primarily as farm animals or mouse catchers, but not as companions. However, pets are becoming increasingly popular among young people. They often have cats or dogs instead of their children.

Analysts estimate that there are as many as 51 million dogs and 65 million cats as pets in China today. It's a worthwhile business: in 2020, it generated the equivalent of about 40 billion francs.

But let the pictures speak:

Come to “Stray Cat Island” (Pudong, #Shanghai). The place is actually a temporary home for stray cats while they await adoption. “Visitors can come either to spend quality time with our pets at home, or to adopt them.” pic.twitter.com/INSxj8CXNg

— T-Time Hong Kong (@HKPOTATO4) December 7, 2023

(asthma)