CRUELTY TO CATS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20716, 8 November 1930, Page 12

CRUELTY TO CATS.

kept in small cases. COURT FINES CHINESE. [BI TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Friday. An old cusfom in China is to confine cats to cages during the time the crops are being planted, according to Ah Wong, who appeared in the Police Court to-day charged with ill-treating two cats by confining them to two small cases. He cannot import cruel customs from China info this country," said the magistrate, Mr. W. H. Woodward, in imposing a fine of £4.

James Henry, inspector lo the Societv for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said that on October 28 he visited the premises of Ah Wong in Taranaki Street. He saw two cats in each of two cases measuring 20in. by lOin. by 15in. The cases were too small to allow the animals to turn round without twisting their bodies.

Ah Wong told him he had to keep the cats in the cases, as he had some vountr plants growing in the yard, and the cats would scratch them out. He admitted that the animals had been fastened up in (he cases for two weeks, but the information given to witness was that it was for two months. The cats were wild to net out. and they had snapped and scratched at witness' hand.

Ah Wong, through nn interpreter, said ho valued tlie rats, and as lie had wanted to keep them he had put, (hern in cases during tjie planting season. He did not look upon it as ill-treatment. The cats continually scratched out his seeds. Ha was satisfied that they had sufficient room in which to turn. The magistrate said lie was not so satis-