Dozens of Cats on a Hillside... "Breeders Likely Abandoned Them After Failing to Sell"

15 Abandoned Cats Found This Year in Busan Saha-gu
Most Suffer from Mites and Malnutrition

Cats believed to have been abandoned were repeatedly found on a mountain in Busan. An animal protection organization judged it to be the act of a small-scale breeder and requested a police investigation.

According to the Busan Animal Love Stray Cat Protection Coalition (Protection Coalition), since January, 15 abandoned cats have been consecutively found on a mountain in Saha-gu, Busan.

In this mountain, following the discovery of two pedigree kittens last January, 13 pedigree cats were found abandoned one after another from mid-last month until the 10th of this month.
[Photo by Busan Animal Love Stray Cat Protection Alliance]

On this mountain, two purebred kittens were found abandoned in January, followed by 13 purebred cats found abandoned from mid-last month until the 10th of this month.

The Protection Coalition stated that the abandoned cats were mainly found near a walking trail leading from an apartment complex up to the mountain, suggesting the same person is responsible. Most of the cats abandoned in the remote mountain during the continuous heavy rains of the monsoon season are hospitalized at animal hospitals due to ticks and malnutrition.

Additionally, all the female cats had hardened milk clots, which the Protection Coalition explained appears to be a sign of repeated childbirth.

Small-scale breeders increasing due to easy licensing, selling in home adoption forms

Most of the cats abandoned in remote mountains due to continuous heavy rain during the monsoon season are hospitalized at animal hospitals suffering from ticks and malnutrition.
[Photo by Busan Animal Love Stray Cat Protection Alliance]

The Protection Coalition suspects that the 15 cats found this time were abandoned on the mountain by a small-scale breeder who had difficulty selling them.

According to the Protection Coalition, small-scale cat breeders selling cats in home adoption forms have been rapidly increasing recently. However, the problem is that if management or sales are not properly conducted, the cats can easily be exposed to various diseases or be abandoned.

On the 8th, dozens of cats were rescued from an officetel in Suwon. At the time of discovery, the cats were suffering from various diseases. An individual obsessed with specific breeds was collecting cats by breed, and the cats gathered showed clear signs of repeated pregnancy and childbirth. Notably, this officetel was not registered as a breeding business.

At the time of rescue, most of the adult female cats were pregnant, and dozens of cats were kept in an unsegregated space.

Regarding this small-scale breeding situation, a Protection Coalition official said, "Because licensing for small-scale animal production businesses is easy, cat breeding facilities in home adoption forms with fewer than 20 cats are increasing. Since young purebred cats do not sell well at auctions, there are also many cases where small-scale breeders directly trade cats online."

Meanwhile, the Protection Solidarity is offering a reward of 1 million won and is receiving tips about the person who abandoned the cat.
[Photo by Busan Animal Love Stray Cat Protection Solidarity]

The official added, "Purebred cats that do not sell at pet shops or home breeding facilities are abandoned in blind spots like in this case, and without measures to address this, the vicious cycle cannot be broken, which is the most serious problem."

The current Animal Protection Act prohibits abandoning animals or neglecting to take care of starvation, disease, etc., and violators can face criminal penalties.

Meanwhile, the Protection Coalition is offering a reward of 1 million won and is seeking tips on the person who abandoned the cats.

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