A blackout that happened at an apartment complex in Sindang-dong turned out to have been caused by a stray cat. Residents from over 2,000 households had to shiver in the cold and dark for more than three hours until the electricity was restored. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan.15 (Korea Bizwire) – As stray cats are an urban problem causing many issues, there have been an increasing number of cases in which stray cats crawl into electricity distribution equipment, get shocked, and cause a blackout in the neighborhood.
A blackout that happened at an apartment complex in Sindang-dong turned out to have been caused by a stray cat. Residents from over 2,000 households had to shiver in the cold and dark for more than three hours until the electricity was restored.
Netizens have fiercely debated the issue online. Those criticizing the stray cats say that those who feed the cats should be punished by law, claiming that the cats should be captured and euthanized. However, some argue that the cats have done no wrong.
In the meantime, some commenters insisted that the maintenance staff at the apartment complex should take the blame. Some netizens commented that “if the equipment was so important, it should have some sort of fence that doesn’t allow animals the size of cats to enter”.
However, most netizens agreed that there should be a plan to decrease the number of stray cats instead of wasting energy on a matter that has no conclusion.
Officials from the Korean Animal Welfare Association commented that the only way to solve stray cat problems is to neuter them. “Since the urban ecosystem is created around humans, it is best for the stray cats that we decrease their numbers through trap-neuter-return programs. Also, there has to be a change in the awareness of people who hate cats.”
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
