Being a cat lover in Japan is like being a kid in a candy store. Cat temples, lucky cats, Hello Kitty, cat cafés——the nation appears to be obsessed with the furry creatures. There are some places in Japan, however, that take this obsession to another level entirely. The nation's eleven "cat islands"—islands off the Japanese coast where, in many cases, the cats outnumber the people, are the ultimate destination for anyone with a more than normal fondness for felines. One of the most famous of these cat islands is Aoshima, a 1.6 km long island located 30 minutes by ferry off the coast of southern Japan. Approximately 20 people live on Aoshima, but there are well over 100 cats, who spend their days curled up in the island's abandoned buildings or prowling about the harbour hunting for fish. After pictures of the island went viral online, the number of tourists visiting Aoshima has risen dramatically. The island is not exactly tourist friendly, though, with no cars, hotels, restaurants, or even vending machines, and the current human residents are mostly elderly people who make a simple living by fishing. Indeed, cats were originally introduced to the island in order to help control the rats and mice that hung around the fishing boats. But as the population of the island dwindled over the years, the cat population rapidly took over. The increased awareness and subsequent popularity of these cat islands have, however, brought problems. On the tiny cat island of Ainoshima, for instance, the abundance of food provided by tourists for the hundreds of local cats has led to serious overpopulation. This in turn has led to stress, violence, and disease among the cats, who often die in fights over territory on the crowded island. Therefore, while visiting one of these islands may be a must for any cat lover, it's important to do whatever is possible to minimize the negative impact that tourism can bring. While many islands are now implementing trapneuter-return programs to help control their feline populations, visitors must do their part, too. When visiting, tourists must refrain from feeding the islands' cats, no matter how hard it might be to resist those heart-melting feline eyes! Only by doing this can we ensure that these islands remain heavens for both visitors and the cats themselves.
愛貓人士到了日本，一定會像小孩到了糖果店一樣興奮。貓神社、幸運招財貓、Hello Kitty 凱蒂貓、貓咖啡廳等元素隨處可見，彷彿全國上下都熱愛喵星人。不過，有些日本地區，甚至將這樣的狂熱無限上綱。日本共有11 座的「貓島」──這些離島的貓隻數量大多超越居民人口，絕對是貓奴的終極朝聖景點。 最享譽盛名的貓島就是青島，從日本南岸搭乘渡輪30分鐘，即可抵達這座1.6 公里長的島嶼。青島區民約20人，但是喵星人卻超過100隻，經常蜷縮於島上的廢棄建築，或在港口出沒捕魚。青島照片在網上瘋傳之後，造訪青島的遊客人數因而激增。但青島其實不適合觀光，因為完全看不見汽車、飯店、餐廳甚至是販賣機的蹤影，而且目前的居民多為捕魚維生的老年人。當初將貓隻帶來青島的用意是為了控制徘徊在漁船邊的鼠患。但隨著該島人口逐年下降，貓群就此喧賓奪主。 不過，貓島逐漸受到重視且大受歡迎的現象，卻帶來了問題。以相島這個小貓島為例，遊客帶來餵養上百隻當地貓群的豐富食物，使得貓隻過度大肆繁殖。貓群之間因而產生壓力、暴力與疾病，甚至因為島上過於擁擠，常為了爭奪領土而死亡。 因此，雖然愛貓人士此生必去的景點就是貓島，但也要謹記於心，盡可能降低觀光所帶來的負面影響程度。雖然許多貓島現已實施「誘捕、絕育、放生」計畫來控制貓隻數量，但遊客一樣要善盡職責。無論喵星人那讓人融化的可愛眼神多麼令人難以抗拒，遊客務必避免餵食島上貓隻！唯有如此，才能確保貓島維持遊客與喵星人共享的天堂勝地狀態。 |
