Stray cats in Korea, itโs a huge problem. Populations have continued to grow in recent years as activists and the government have searched for cost-effective and humane solutions. This is everything you need to know about the stray cat situation in Korea.
Current Situation
Stray Cats in Korea are a pretty big problem. Populations run rampant in big cities. Historically, many people in Korea had a negative perception of cats. Some viewed them as bad luck, while others considered street cats messy and noisy nuisances. Though attitudes have shifted in recent decades, mistreatment at the hands of humans has left many Korean street cats fearful of people.
Although most of the street cats you see are feral and used to have a role to pay in society, especially in the countryside. But as Korea became urbanized, people swapped houses for apartments and no longer needed cats to control the population of pests and protect agriculture. The problem, though, was that the cats didnโt have anywhere to go in the concrete-covered city. On average, street cats live only five years โ most of them die in car accidents.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, the number of complaints filed concerning stray cats has increased from 6,206 in 2020 to 9,500 in 2021. Animal abuse cases targeting stray cats have also gone up from 1,219 in 2020 to 1,816 in 2021.
Until a few years ago, the only method used in Korea to control urban cat populations was extermination. But protests by animal rights groups eventually led some districts to look for alternatives. Increasingly, trap-neuter-return programs (TNR) have become the answer.
The report on stray cats released on Dec. 13 by domestic animal advocacy group Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA) shows that the overwhelming majority, or 95.7 percent of street cat rescuers, are not affiliated with any animal rights groups. Over 1,500 people took part in the survey conducted between April and June 2022.
Volunteers
Six in 10 volunteers who take care of stray cats work alone on trap-neuter-return (TNR) activities to control the stray cat population due to limited funding from the local government, according to an animal rights group. These independent activists vary by age. 19.3 percent were in their 20s, 24.7 percent were in their 30s, 26.6 percent were in their 40s, and 21.3 percent in their 50s.
Their primary activities included feeding cats (97.7 percent) and TNR (58.8 percent). TNR is viewed by some as a humane and effective method to manage stray cat populations. The tips of spayed or neutered catsโ ears are snipped off before theyโre released to prevent their unnecessary recapture.
According to the report, these individual cat rescuers spend an average of 160,000 won ($124) per month to look after stray cats in their neighborhoods.
Nine out of 10 of these independent activists are aware of TNR. And, around 60 percent pay for the surgery of the cats they rescue themselves.
The individual rescuers complained that negative stereotypes about stray cats also make it harder to take care of the cats.
The Government is Taking Action
The government has been trying to stabilize the countryโs growing stray cat population via TNR programs. However, due to tight budgets, local government efforts to control the free-roaming feline population have not been able to meet the actual demand.
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