Hello Street Cat
Hello Street Cat (哈啰街猫) is a program developed by Guangxi Hachong Network Technology Co., Ltd. (广西哈宠网络科技有限公司) which launched on April 13th, 2023. This program is "committed to improving the harmonious coexistence between people and stray cats through the power of technology".[1] Its goal is to monitor stray cats in a Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) program and encourage people to adopt, not shop.[2]
The official apps for Hello Street Cat are Jiemao and Purrrr. Both allow to feed the cats, however, Jiemao is the main app and allows donations for the TNR program, applications for a Feeder, etc.
The official Hello Street Cat Douyin account releases monthly updates on their TNR program and other announcements related to Jiemao.
Information
There are currently 400,000 stray cats in Shanghai, and the population is only increasing daily. The reproduction of these cats can be astounding, as in only 7 years, 420,000 kittens can be produced. Hello Street Cat works to control the population through TNR and adoption. They have partnered with over 548 animal hospitals to get discounts on TNR operations.
As of February 2024, 21,000 feeders had been distributed in 14 major cities in China. On January 23, 2024, 5,600 unique communities in Shanghai had a cat feeder, and this number has grown to 17,716 as of August 2024.
Controversy
Some people think feeding stray cats is a bad thing to do, as cats can breed faster without having to scavenge for food, causing the overpopulation of cats to only increase. Others think that introducing these cat houses will make stray cats come over more often and stay there.
After about half a year of the introduction of the Cat Feeders, most residents calmed down about the potential problems, seeing as most cats were becoming sterilized and the population started to become controlled in some communities.
Keep Reading
References
- ↑ Quoted from the official website at https://hellostreetcat.com/.
- ↑ https://hellostreetcat.com/#_2