82-year-old man is giving away entire fortune to a stranger — but there's one condition involving his cat
China’s relationship with animals has been in a conundrum for quite some time. From being under scrutiny for unpopular animal meat sources to championing the cause against animal cruelty, China has come a long way. A strange request was put forth by the South China Post when an old man announced that he was willing to give away all his fortune to any obscure person who would be willing to adopt and care for his cat. His unusual request is heartwarming and incredibly kind in a world that prioritizes humans over animals at all stages.
The 82-year-old man realized that he’d no longer be there for his companion, and given the animal cruelty cases in the country, this fear-driven man requested the people to adopt his cat and take complete responsibility for its good life in exchange for his inheritance. According to the report, the old man had no children; his wife died ten years ago, and since then, he has been living with his cat, whom he named Xianba. Xianba was found with her three kittens on a rainy day, and while the kittens grew up and left, Xianba stuck to the owner's side.
The guy, whose surname is featured as Long, announced this request on a local radio channel, Guangdong Radio and Television, detailing the list of things he owned, including his flat and savings, and asked the listeners to come forward only if they were willing to “take good care” of his feline. The request is still in the air, and the research for the right adopter is going on. When people online caught wind of this unusual demand, people offered immediate responses, with some even claiming to adopt the cat without his inheritance.
Around 10 million dogs are eaten in the country every year in celebration of China's infamous Yulin Dog Meat Festival. Princeton Legal Journal cited heart-wrenchingly cruel acts towards dogs and cats in China. To name a few, in October 2022, an unidentified man from Shanxi Province brutally murdered a pregnant cat by pouring boiled water on her, killing her and four unborn kittens in her womb. Given such prevailing hard conditions for the survival of pet animals, Long’s fear for his cat's life and giving away all he has earned is comprehensible. The situation becomes much worse when you realize that the country has no law that protects animals from such senseless suffering.
On the other hand, the pet population of the country is on the rise. Every 1 in 5 households has a pet in the country, according to Science Direct. But a study by NIH stated that in over 2000 people surveyed, 47% percent mentioned they have never “heard the term animal welfare.” These starkly contradictory data reflect the country’s unstable stance on animal protection. NIH also mentioned that 53% of the people reflected protective behavior towards animals, stating that taking care of them is important. Xianba's owners' fears are therefore not misplaced or exaggerated. Given these conditions, it's no wonder that he wants to secure his cat's future before his time on Earth is up.