Furbidden Kitty
(image via: sinaCNnews)
Cats became domesticated in ancient China due to their tolerance of humans and their natural proclivity for reducing rodent populations. As the Forbidden City stored vast amounts of the finest foodstuffs, anyone or anything that protected the precious bounty was greatly appreciated. Cats earned their privileged place at the center of Chinese power through diligence and perseverance… plus, they worked for free.
(image via: Mafengwo)
With the departure of China’s last emperor and his entourage in 1911 when the Republic of China was established, one might assume the Forbidden City’s cats would have fallen on hard times. Certainly there were less of the luxurious foodstuffs that attracted vermin in centuries past, yet at least some of the Forbidden City’s resident felines managed to hang on in their traditional digs.
(image via: SOHU News)
With the relaxation of strict communist ideology in the wake of Chairman Mao’s passing, China began to reevaluate their neglect of the nation’s pre-revolutionary history. The Forbidden City was looked at in a new light – moneyed tourists expressed interest in visiting the relics of China’s long imperial past. Beijing’s governing authorities began paying more attention to the Forbidden City and renewed attention was given to the district’s remaining feral cats.
