"Do Not Put Cat Food to Preserve Artifacts" 'Cat Mom' Conflict, What Do You Think?

"Do Not Put Cat Food" Warning at Bosingak
Conflicts with 'Cat Moms' Sometimes Lead to Crime

Warning signs posted on the fence of Bosingak Bell Pavilion. Photo by Online Community Capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "At the very least, we should not cause harm."

Recently, criticism has been mounting against some cat moms and cat dads who have been feeding cats inside the cultural heritage site, Bosingak Bell Pavilion. Cat moms and cat dads refer to people who feed or take care of stray cats.

Some citizens are concerned that the excessive protection by cat moms and cat dads might increase the stray cat population. They also criticized the unauthorized entry into the cultural heritage site for the purpose of feeding cats as inappropriate.

On the 3rd, a warning notice posted on the fence of Bosingak Bell Pavilion has been spreading mainly through online communities. The notice reads, "For the preservation of relics, do not put cat food inside the bell pavilion. CCTV is monitoring."

This warning appears to be aimed at some cat moms and cat dads who place food containers for cats not on the streets but inside the cultural heritage site.

Netizens have strongly criticized this. Although the purpose is to feed cats, the method is considered excessive.

One netizen said, "Feeding stray cats is fine. But you shouldn't cause harm to others. Is it really necessary to put cat food inside a cultural heritage site? I understand the desire to feed them, but you should be mindful of the location. Feeding indiscriminately is inappropriate," criticizing the behavior.

Another netizen also said, "At the very least, you should be selective about where you feed the cats. Good intentions do not justify everything. Actions without mutual consideration are just a nuisance," sharply criticizing.

A feeding station for stray cats inside an apartment complex in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Heo Midam damdam@asiae.co.kr

Conflicts between cat moms, cat dads, and residents are not new. As stray cats gather around the food provided by cat moms and cat dads, nearby parked cars have been scratched, and garbage bags have been damaged, causing some residents to express dissatisfaction. Due to escalating conflicts, some residential complexes have even banned feeding stray cats.

Conflicts between cat moms and residents have sometimes escalated into crimes. In November last year, a cat mom claimed she was assaulted by a person who hates stray cats and filed a petition to the Blue House demanding strict punishment.

The petitioner said, "In June 2020, there was an incident where a cat mom was grabbed by the hair and assaulted by a person who hates stray cats. The perpetrator suddenly stopped walking, looked around, then approached me and grabbed my hair for about 5 seconds and hit my face." As a result, the petitioner suffered bruises and abrasions.

Meanwhile, since 2008, Seoul City has been controlling the stray cat population through neutering (TNR) surgeries to coexist with stray cats.

According to a monitoring survey conducted by Seoul City in February last year on the stray cat habitat status, the number of cats decreased by 53.6%, from 250,000 in 2013 to 116,000 in 2019.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.