Tashirojima: The island of cats > Care of pets.
Tashirojima: The island of cats
The cat is, for many cultures, an popular and highly respected animal. It
is, for example, Egyptian culture, which considers the animal as a
figure worthy of worship, or the Japanese, who he credited with features
such as fortune and the good omen. I will discuss this last...
In Japan, the domestic cat has been considered for centuries as a pet. It's a very common animal that came to Japan around 600 B.c. and was introduced by the Buddhist monks as a sacred animal. The popularity of the cat grew between the royalty and the working class, and today continues to be highly respected. So much so that they even have an island dedicated to worship cats. This is Tashirojima, a small island in the Pacific, near the Oshika peninsula, also known as the 'Island of cats' being populated for something less than a centanar of people living with thousands of feral cats. But how can they have got there? It all started when the main economic activity of the island was the breeding of silkworms, which led to an increase in the population of mice that feed on so appealing (for them!) menu. To control the pest and prevent the spread of diseases, residents began to carry cats to the island, and since then it has become a paradise of feral cats. And the truth is that they treat them as real gods: it is believed that feed them brings good luck, health and wealth. And to have constructed a shrine to worship them!
The future of the island is clear: more than 80% of the human population is over 65, so it is very likely that Tashirojima is uninhabited. In view of the risk of losing all of the population and make the island a more attractive place for young people, the authorities have decided to turn it into a tourist destination dedicated to the figure of the cats that inhabit it.
Something similar happens with Okunoshima, popularly known as the "island of rabbits", and you already imaginaréis you why... During the second world war, the island was used for testing with chemicals used in combat. To test the effects of mustard gas, the Japanese army took eight rabbits. At the end of the conflict the island was abandoned and rabbits were multiplied, becoming thus its main inhabitants. Although these mammals are not part of Japanese culture, the island has become also a tourist attraction. Visitors love to feed them and play with them as to the protagonist of the video, chased by a bunch of hungry bunnies:
In Japan, the domestic cat has been considered for centuries as a pet. It's a very common animal that came to Japan around 600 B.c. and was introduced by the Buddhist monks as a sacred animal. The popularity of the cat grew between the royalty and the working class, and today continues to be highly respected. So much so that they even have an island dedicated to worship cats. This is Tashirojima, a small island in the Pacific, near the Oshika peninsula, also known as the 'Island of cats' being populated for something less than a centanar of people living with thousands of feral cats. But how can they have got there? It all started when the main economic activity of the island was the breeding of silkworms, which led to an increase in the population of mice that feed on so appealing (for them!) menu. To control the pest and prevent the spread of diseases, residents began to carry cats to the island, and since then it has become a paradise of feral cats. And the truth is that they treat them as real gods: it is believed that feed them brings good luck, health and wealth. And to have constructed a shrine to worship them!
The future of the island is clear: more than 80% of the human population is over 65, so it is very likely that Tashirojima is uninhabited. In view of the risk of losing all of the population and make the island a more attractive place for young people, the authorities have decided to turn it into a tourist destination dedicated to the figure of the cats that inhabit it.
Something similar happens with Okunoshima, popularly known as the "island of rabbits", and you already imaginaréis you why... During the second world war, the island was used for testing with chemicals used in combat. To test the effects of mustard gas, the Japanese army took eight rabbits. At the end of the conflict the island was abandoned and rabbits were multiplied, becoming thus its main inhabitants. Although these mammals are not part of Japanese culture, the island has become also a tourist attraction. Visitors love to feed them and play with them as to the protagonist of the video, chased by a bunch of hungry bunnies: