Home » News » Making a Difference in Japan...

News

Making a Difference in Japan

May 19, 2008, 12:56PM MT

By Elizabeth Doyle

Helping People Help Cats

Helping People Help Cats
by Sherri Scanlan

In 1992, David Wybenga and Susan Roberts were given the chance to go to Japan and work. The young couple looked forward to the opportunities that living in a new culture had to offer. They planned to stay a year or so and return to their old lives back in the US. Now, 16 years later, David and Susan are still in Japan. What happened? Cats. Lots and lots of cats!

Stroll through any neighborhood in Japan and the signs of stray cats are everywhere, be it the standing plastic water bottles thought to keep them from urinating on garden pots, or the screeching and hissing of the early morning cat fights. No neighborhood is without its share of stray cats, many of them living in pitiful conditions. Because of the low incidence of spay/neuter, FIV is also common. Unlike in other developed countries, Japanese cities lack local shelters, and there are only a handful of humane shelters in the entire country. Animal control is the job of "Hokenjo" or “health center,” which accepts cats and dogs surrendered daily by owners. Most animals that go to Hokenjo, and nearly all of the cats, are destroyed. Rather than facing that reality, it is easier for people to dump kittens in places where they think they might have a chance. Temples, parks, schools, parking lots... all become dumping grounds for unwanted cats and kittens.

David and Susan found their neighborhood to be no different. At first they noticed cats in trouble and often carried around some food to feed the strays. They also tried to find homes for cats when they could. What first started as a good will gesture towards the neighborhood cats has now turned into The Japan Cat Network (http://www.japancatnet.com/).

The Japan Cat Network’s motto is “Helping People Help Cats.” Discovering that many people would do the right thing if given some information and support, JCN reaches out to people who need help managing problems with cats. Their focus is on TNR- trap, neuter, return as a means to improve the lives of stray cats, and they provide assistance with this to anyone who contacts them. Initially, people usually hope someone will just take the problem off their hands, but once the benefits of the TNR plan are thoroughly explained, most folks are willing to give it a try. Getting the public in general to provide funding for larger projects is a different matter. David and Susan continue to teach English and fund the Network out of their own pockets. While many couples their age might be saving for a home, David and Susan spend over US$1,000+ a month to keep their organization in business. They buy food, traps, and foot the cost of spaying/neutering for the strays. In addition, they have a shelter at their home where they keep those cats that are unable to return to their feral colony.

With the spring mating season upon them, David and Susan are once again overwhelmed with the task of trying to rescue abandoned kittens and to trap those for spay/neuter. They are currently working on a TNR project in a park with over 100 cats living there, and have rescued 12 abandoned kittens from the park in the last month. With their team of volunteers, and partial funding from Animal Refuge Kansai ( http://www.arkbark.net/e/index.htm) , they've trapped, spayed, and neutered 53 of the cats.

If you would like to learn more about The Japan Cat Network, or help David and Susan with their arduous task by helping to fund some of their TNR work, please contact them via The Japan Cat Network website. (http://www.japancatnet.com/). They’d love to hear from you!

Article by Sherri Scanlan
Photo by Japan Cat Network

Comments

Posted May 20, 2008, 1:59AM by mikocat

As a board member of ARK (Animal Refuge Kansai) I have had the privilege of working with David and Susan. They have done so much for ferals here in Western Japan! Their current project ,which is mentioned here, has the potential to be a watershed event for TNR. There are many city officials still skeptical and unconvinced that this will work. But David and Susan have gathered over 20 volunteers and several local vets to the cause, and their diligence, commitment and kindness are winning new converts as I write. This past Sunday (18th) they picked up 8 more kittens and now have 20 in their care.

Please check out their web site and support their work!

http://www.japancatnet.com/

Jeff Bryant
Kobe Japan

Posted May 19, 2008, 1:2PM by sharonstjoan

It's really good to know that David and Susan are there helping the cats!