Cat Island...SAFE

On the Southeast coast of Japan is a place known as "Cat Island".  It's not very big, in fact only eight miles square with a human population of about 100.  The only other occupants on the island are a huge colony of cats numbering in the several hundreds.  Years ago, the people of Cat Island, officially known as Tashiro,  raised silkworms.  Since mice are natural predators of silkworms, cats were brought in to keep the mouse population in check.  Originally, Cat Island was also know for its fishing and the cats would beg for scraps from the fishermen.  The fishermen began looking to the cats as predictors of both the weather and the fishing.  In fact, the fishermen built shrines to the cats and upon returning from fishing fed the cats first before anything else.  Over the years Cat Island became a tourist stop where people came to visit and feed the cats. Last week, Japan was struck by a powerful earthquake and within thirty minutes a powerful Tsunami hit the Japanese coast.  The day after, while reading about the disaster, I was disturbed to read that Cat Island had been wiped away by the Tsunami and it was doubtful any of the cats or humans on the island had survived. Then good news came through.  As I was researching for my Sunday radio show yesterday morning, I read that the Japanese Navy reported that while Cat Island had suffered some structural damage, the human and kitty population of the island was believed to be unharmed.  In fact,helicopters were flying supplies into the island as of yesterday. As we speak, an international animal rescue organization is putting together a relief mission for the kitties of Cat Island.  You can learn more about them and their mission at http://www.worldvets.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=203 Thoughts and prayers for all the people of Japan and especially our friends on Cat Island. Have a purrable day... Nick