Hong Kong is the name of the former colony that returned to the motherland in 1997..! It’s also the name of one of my friend’s cats! Why on earth he wanted to call his cat HongKong is always one of the first questions that his friends ask on metting HongKong…? Simply that is when he rescued the cat and took care of it! 1997.

Since then HongKong has lived with him. It’s been quite a while. And Tim’s cat used to curl up on the warmth of the 17″ CRT monitor as Tim worked on his Ph.D and his publications. It’s actually quite cute!

Unfortunately, as technology evolved, Tim upgraded to an LCD monitor which presented a unique challenge to HongKong who had to find another place to keep warm in the winter!

Of course, LCD monitors aren’t the only adjustment to life that HongKong had to make, apart from the usual cat supplies that he needs. Tim also had several dogs and each of the dogs has had to make friends with HongKong.

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This is Delia, one of HongKong’s dog ‘friends’.

I’d have loved to include a picture of HongKong but despite being to Tim’s house many times, it’s actually quite difficult to see the cat. HongKong hides himself away when visitors come.

Unfortunately, in Taiwan a lot of pets that are unwanted tend to be ‘discarded’ like gum wrappers on the sidewalk, and they live out the rest of their short lives on the streets. All of Tim’s four-legged pets have been rescued in this fashion… two dogs and one cat, so far.

Things have been getting better as rescue organizations now take them in, and animal lovers are protesting these awful situations and cruelty to animals. I’ve now heard of quite a few stories of foreign teachers coming here to live and work who rescue a street dog or cat and end up taking them home with them. It’s surprisingly easy, if all the paperwork’s done here.

But it’s tragic for pets reared in the home, who are tossed into the street. They can’t fend for themselves, often become sick or maltreated, and are reduced to eating scraps and all sorts.

If you’re in Taiwan, and looking for a pet, PLEASE rescue a pet from the street or from one of the animal rescue organizations. DON’T buy one in a pet store!