The Animals Asia team in China was contacted by a cat rescue charity who were in the process of rescuing 15 abandoned cats and kittens and urgently needed help to ensure their survival.

Liuzhou Hope for Home who are based in the beautiful southern China region of Liuzhou, Guangxi, is one of over 150 animal rescue NGOs that have sprung up in the past decade across the country to help its many abandoned and neglected companion animals.

The cats and kittens that Hope for Home had rescued - mostly ‘Ragdoll’ breed - had likely come from a private breeding facility as the majority were female with some kittens and they had clearly given birth many times before.

When the cats and kittens arrived at the rescue, they were understandably scared and anxious - probably thinking they were being taken out to be mated again. It took the Hope for Home volunteers a long time to gently coax them out of their carry boxes. 

Once safely out and having relaxed a little, the volunteers were able to inspect the cats and kittens. Most of the cats were discovered to be suffering from lack of nutrition, dehydration, lack of exercise, and reproductive or inherited diseases. 

Companion animals such as Ragdolls are popular due to their distinctive look, however breeders don’t always separate the males and females at birth. This can lead to inbreeding and pregnancy as soon as the females are sexually mature which in turn can lead to reproductive health problems and ailments such as congenital dysplasia in their kittens - a condition of the hip joint that causes instability and degeneration.

Sadly, one of the kittens, a beautiful white male who the team named Xue Bao, didn’t make it, as he was so weak and riddled with health problems. Thankfully, the other 14 survived. They all received treatment for their respective ailments and were all vaccinated and sterilised.

Soon after their rescue the now-healthy and happy cats were ready to move on and find their companion humans and forever homes. Hope for Home held an open adoption event for local residents which was a great success: eight of the 14 were adopted on the day by loving families.

One of the most heartwarming stories from the open event was that of a local boy who happened to be passing by and dropped in out of curiosity. Coincidentally, he was planning to buy a cat from a pet shop, but on hearing about the terrible plight of the rescue cats, he was compelled to adopt one then and there. 

Animals Asia’s China Cat and Dog Welfare Director Suki Deng said:

“We’re fortunate that thanks to the support of Animals Asia donors around the world we’re constantly ready to jump into action to help volunteer groups around China like Hope for Homes. We’re able to support their efforts on the ground with our expertise and resources when an emergency rescue like this occurs. We’re also working hard to promote  responsible companion animal guardianship including looking at the beginning of that special relationship and under what conditions the companion animals are sourced or bred.”

This mission was just one of many Animals Asia regularly undertakes to help NGOs dealing with abandoned and abused companion animals throughout Asia. Learn more about our campaigns, approach and work with cats and dogs and support our work by joining us with a regular donations today.

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