Hospital to act against cat infestation

Beijing Children's Hospital (BCH) made a decision to clear its premises of stray felines, after complaints from parents about cats invading the children's ward, hospital staff confirmed yesterday.

The hospital in Xicheng district posted notices on Thursday to announce that they would clear away all stray cats in one week. They also announced that feeding them would now be prohibited, the Beijing News reported yesterday.

An employee from the hospital pharmacy, who declined to be named, confirmed the details of the announcement to the Global Times.

"I heard that a small cat fell out of the pipes and hit a child, they are also believed to be responsible for broken electric cables," he said. "The main reason they're taking action is because parents complained that cats keep entering the children's ward."

The pharmacy worker informed the Global Times that nurses and local residents frequently feed the cats, which encourages them to visit the premises.

The publicity department of BCH was unable to comment yesterday.

"A hospital is an important location, and it is totally inappropriate for cats to be wandering around," said Wang Chen, director of Beijing Tiantan Hospital. "Stray cats carry fleas and pose a serious risk to hygiene, especially in sterile areas."

He added that blackouts caused by cats scratching wiring posed an even bigger threat to patients on essential life support equipment.

In 2009, Beijing Tiantan Hospital enacted the same policy after cats created a blackout by scratching electrical wires. People gathered at the hospital to protest, and the two sides reached a deal for animal rights group New Beautiful World to conduct a trap-neuter-return operation on the cats.

A security guard surnamed Wang from BCH told the Global Times they had seen the notices and were aware of the clearing of stray cats, but haven't been assigned any cat-removing duties.

Worried activists from animal protection organizations urged a more humane and effective method to keep the cats under control.

"This is inhumane and unwise, and I can't believe a place designed to heal the wounded and save the dying would treat animals like this," said Zhang Dan, founder of Beijing-based China Animal Protection Media Salon.

Other animal rights groups did not think the cats were a threat.

"I highly doubt cats would scratch or bite cables, mice are more likely to do so." said Gao Jianhua, a member of New Beautiful World in charge of the project at Tiantan Hospital.

"If they are captured and sterilized and given a place to settle, the cats would rarely run in and bother the patients," he added.