Good, ethical pet stores in Japan?

[serria]

I love animals, and always get really depressed when I go to Japanese pet shops. It's always really terrible to see how often they are kept in tiny cages where they can hardly move, and rarely even have a toy or two to keep them occupied. I only hope they all get adopted soon, but I still would rather not support chains that don't actually seem to

Comments

[fencer_x]

Can't help with ferrets, but the people at the Japan Cat Network are a really nice couple who care about animals. I fostered two cats for them for some time and hated giving them back (my apartment didn't allow pets unfortunately).

They're in Shiga, last I heard, but it's easy to reach by bullet train and not a long trip from Tokyo.

[serria]

That's really great! :) I'm definitely interested in fostering a cat, if I don't adopt. I'm fostered cats and volunteered at animal shelters before. I heard pet shelters weren't as common in Japan, so it's nice to know that there actually are some strong ones going!

Though at the place I'm at right now, there are so many stray kitties... my roommate and I regularly, as in every night, feed them. They gather outside our apartment and some have grown really friendly toward us. :D If I was sure I'd be able to commit to a cat, I'd probably adopt one of those, though of course they all need vets (for shots, neutering, etc.) and baths. :P

[fencer_x]

IIRC all of the JCN cats are spayed/neutered and have their shots (or at least the ones I was offered did), so you wouldn't have to worry about that if you went with them, even to foster :)

[serria]

I've been to a number of pet stores around Tokyo and Chiba, but I don't remember their names. :( I always go because I miss animals and have the itch to goggle at something cute, or I'm buying kitty food (I feed the strays around my apartment). I don't think I've ever seen a pet store that hasn't made me sad, though. There was one that kept puppies and kitties in a relatively big (for Japan, that is) kennel/viewing area, but all the other small animals were kept in cages the size of shoeboxes. :(

I also heard that many Japanese pet stores euthanize their animals if they aren't sold within a short period of time, and then go and order new ones. As though the animal has reached an expiration date. ><

I know there has to be SOME great pet shops in the area, I just want to find them!

Thanks for the link on Arkbark! I'll look into it. :) What I'm really hoping to get is a ferret, though!

[atashida]

My friend got a cat from ARK recently. She lives in Tokyo, and the only cats they had in Tokyo at the time were kittens that they really wanted adopted in 2s, so she came to Kansai (the main office) to see me and to check out the cats.

We went together - the place is really in the middle of nowhere, hard to find, but the staff was incredibly knowledgeable about each cat's temperament and medical issues (some had them - friend ended up adopting a cat with feline AIDS). Lots of volunteers around and the cats/dogs had a good amount of space.

If you come out to Kansai they can ship the cat to you in Tokyo too. My friend did this and it was fairly inexpensive (maybe 3000?). The only thing is that they want you to have certification that you can have a pet in your apartment. Which rules me out for the time being ;_;

[korpsy]

I was also going to say Japan Cat Network. Although there might be something similar closer to Tokyo? I have three cats and all of them were rescues from JCN. Pet shops here can't afford to be humane, I'd say steer clear of them in general.

[serria]

The last time I was in Japan, I remember checking out another cat rescue organization that was really big, in Tokyo and Kyoto or something. I considered fostering, but my apartment didn't allow pets.... what was it called! :(

Good for you, though, for rescuing. As cute as the little kittens and puppies are at the pet shop, when you look at the price tag it's kind of sick how much people will pay for a new pet, when there's so many homeless ones you could essentially have for free. I would just as soon not financially support the pet stores at all, I just don't know where else to get a ferret. Maybe I could find a good, ethical breeder?

[starkodama]

Thanks for the post... I was wondering the same thing myself. ;__; Pet shops here are SO depressing.

[serria]

You're welcome! Hopefully someone will have more information about good alternatives!

[sabishii_kirito]

I just wanted to say that I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that. I go to cat cafes sometimes, and of the ones I've been to multiple times, the cats are all really healthy and seem to be happy. I went to one in Izu (it was part of a cat museum--do not go there if you are an animal person), and it was awful. The cats were in cages or tied up to poles with leashes, and the whole place smelled awful. I haven't been able to go to another cafe-type place since because of how depressed all the cats looked.

Sorry to rant. This is one issue that really rubs me the wrong way here, and I could go on and on about how pet shops and many owners treat the animals. I really hope you find a place that's decent.

[serria]

(Meowth! I'll dress to match. lol)

I haven't actually been to a cat cafe yet, because when I lived in Japan before and was REALLY homesick for my pets back home, I didn't have enough money to ever go to one (I was a poor student, lol). Now, I fill the kitty void in my heart with all the strays that hang out in my neighborhood, and feed them - I figure 1000 yen is far better spent feeding the orphans than going to a cafe!

But yeah I've also heard good and bad things. My roommate went to one and she said all the cats were terrified of people. They just wanted to hide and be left alone. :( I hope most cafes treat them as beloved pets and not, you know, a commercial investment.

[sabishii_kirito]

:3

The ones I've went to a few times each have a separate room or two that the cats can go to for when they just don't want to be around people. The workers were also pretty strict about people not waking them up when they were sleeping in the commons area, which was really nice.

I'd feed the strays here, but a lady downstairs has already taken that job, and the apartment office is NOT happy with it. I guess the cats poop outside of people's doors, so... Yea :x