A Taiwan-based cat breeder who was robbed of two kittens earlier this month was in Hong Kong over the past few days following up on the case of her filched felines, which were allegedly smuggled into the SAR from Taiwan by a woman who hid them under her clothes and pretended to be pregnant.
Ming Pao reports that cat breeder and owner Chang Chin-yi filed a police report in Hong Kong on Sunday, and visited the Central Police station and the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department to assist with their investigations yesterday.
The alleged smuggler gave up the Persian kittens after being confronted by Chang in a message, and they are now being looked after by a friend of Chang’s based in Hong Kong. However, because both cats arrived in the city without documentation, they must spend at least four months in quarantine or face being put down. Taiwan only accepts cats from Hong Kong that have a certificate showing they are free of rabies.
Speaking to reporters gathered at Hong Kong International Airport last night, Chang said that both cats needed the rabies vaccine first, then a vet needs to take a blood sample, and Chang needs to wait 180 days until the pair can fly back to Taiwan. This means that the earliest possible date the two cats can return to Taiwan is July, HK01 reports.
Chang acknowledged that if the cats are going to return to Taiwan, she would need to pay for medical, shipping, and other expenses, and is considering the possibility of putting them both up for adoption in Hong Kong.
“This shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” Chang tearfully told reporters, adding that the the cats are like her children.
“The two cats are a lot more nervous now. I’ve been breeding cats for seven years and never thought they could be so scared like that.”
“Their characters and personalities are a lot different to before. They’re like children to us.”
The saga began on February 5 when Chang noticed her two kittens — Anngi and Da Lili — were missing, and immediately suspected a 35-year-old woman, surnamed Lee, who had wanted to purchase the two cats. Lee was caught on CCTV leaving Chang’s apartment with a cat under each arm, and was later filmed going into an airport washroom with a bag believed to contain the cuddly contraband and coming out looking decidedly more plump.
On Tuesday, February 19, Chang confronted Lee over Facebook messenger, with Lee allegedly admitting to the theft and saying she would report herself to the police station, but adding that she wasn’t able to at the time as she was feeling unwell, Headline Daily reports.
Chang, however, remained unconvinced, saying she did not accept Lee’s excuse or her apology, which she claimed was insincere. She said she had visited Lee in hospital, and that Lee appeared to be in good spirits, accusing the alleged cat burglar of pretending to be in pain when other people were around.
