- A boy filmed begging his pet cat not to shed hair or his parents will take it away has melted the hearts of millions in China
- The video has led to widespread criticism of the boy’s parents, prompting his father to say he will do his best to persuade the family to keep the cat
A video of a young boy hugging his pet cat in tears as he begs it to stop moulting so his parents will not get rid of it has touched the hearts of millions on mainland Chinese social media.
The video, viewed nearly 8 million times on Douyin alone, shows the boy hugging and patting the silver and white British shorthair cat as he pleads: “Xiaotugan [the cat’s name], please don’t shed hair again. I beg you!”
“I love you! But I am begging you not to moult any more. Okay?”
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According to local news outlet Wutong Video, the boy’s parents, who live in northeastern China’s Jilin province, planned to send the cat away because of its frequent moulting.
The video has attracted widespread attention online and criticism of the boy’s parents, prompting his father to post a video on Douyin saying he would try his best to persuade the rest of the family to keep the cat.
The online comments from many people were full of sympathy for the boy.
“It is his friend. He fears the cat will be sent away. I feel so sorry for the boy!” Said one person on Weibo.
“Please don’t break the boy’s heart. It is his childhood companion,” commented another person.
A third online observer said: “The parents should either not agree to raise a pet at first or be responsible for the pet till the end. That’s how they set a good example for their kid.”
Another commenter added: “Those who truly love a cat will not abandon it because of it shedding hair. Just clean it and it’s not a big deal.”
Last month, a toddler in China was filmed covering the ears of her pet dog and comforting it after it was scared by the sound of fireworks.
In the same month, a man in China held a pet cat up to a window so it could see a fireworks display in a viral video.
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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
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