Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Bueongi]

I didn't know this either until I came to Korea. Thankfully, everyone has informed us of this fact upon hearing that my husband and I own two cats. I can't count how many times someone has commented on how irresponsible we are, endangering ourselves and the lives of our future children by having cats. My Korean mother-in-law even says that my poor husband is likely to develop cancer because of our cats!

We know a married couple, who, every time they visit our apartment, make an elaborate show of searching their clothing for any trace of cat hair before going home to their child. Apparently, they think the hair somehow causes illness and death in children. Sometimes I respond that actually studies show that children who grow up in a home with pets are less likely to develop allergies, asthma and other illnesses. Then they make up some other vague reason that cats cause death.

My favorite story was from a friend of ours: There was once a young man loved cats and raised them in his apartment. One day, despite having been perfectly healthy, he suddenly died. The medical examiners opened up his chest to find his lungs completely full of cat hair!!

Who is telling Koreans this?? Is there some kind of anti-feline conspiracy going on in this country that I don't know about??

[NightSky]

well, many Koreans generally seem disinclined to like cats, so you may be hearing some extrapolations based on those feelings, but that's not to say there is NO connection between cats and ill health/disease.

toxoplasmosis just for a start.

[Bueongi]

True, toxoplasmosis is transmitted through contact with cat feces, but is very unlikely to occur in cats that stay indoors. Besides, it can just as easily be transmitted through contact with undercooked meat. Incidents of pregnant women transmitting toxo to their fetuses are rare. Anyway, cat-related illnesses in humans are not common, and it's generally accepted that the positive benefits of owning pets far outweigh the negative. But that's getting off topic...

[Bibbitybop]

Cats only cause death if all the windows are closed and the fan is on.

[billietea]

well the simple answer is to eat more kimchi *surely one can't die if they have been ingesting enough of this miracle delicacy

[ulmaeri]

Be careful of the cats that hop up onto your chest as you sleep and suck out your life.

[crosbystillsstash]

Koreans get their revenge upon the evil feline.

Cat Soju

Known as 'goyangi soju', which translates as something like 'happiness soju', cat soju is yet another victory for the medicinal theory that eating strange animals makes you healthy. Cat soju is manufactured almost exclusively at Moran market, about 5 subway stops from my apartment. The production process is quite simple: cats and scalding hot water are combined in a pressure-cooker until the scratching stops. After several hours, the resulting liquid is packaged and marketed as a cure for arthritis. This is a strange application of lateral thinking ("hey, cats are really agile... i bet they have nice joints... what if i drank a cat?") that is admirable for its simplicity. While i cannot comment on the taste of this beverage because i haven't tried it yet, the idea alone deserves a perfect rating.

http://patrick8448.blogspot.com/2007/07/patricks-guide-to-korean-drinks.html

[Cerriowen]

How can someone be perfectly healthy and have lungs full of cat hair? Wouldn't he have at least had a bit of a cough?

Cats could cause death, by winding around your ankles when you're walking and making you trip... down stairs, into sharp edges, over a knife. Or trying to sufficate you by laying on your face while you're sleeping. Dangerous animals!

Personally I think they are bad luck for the negative impact they have on my emotions: they're smug little bastards that make me (a normally non-agressive person) want to kick them.

But I think they don't like them because there's a belief about cats and ghosts and bad luck... I can't remember exactly.

[anyway]

On a similar note, I once asked my class of seemingly intelligent university students about the biggest danger in Korea. One of them said it was mice poo. If you sit in the grass (where it can be found), you might get it on your hands and, well, you can guess the rest. Seriously. Not car accidents, factory work, shoddy construction, or primary school teachers.
Mice poo. Don't forget the next time you decide to stretch out in the grass.

[madoka]

Everyone knows cats don't cause cancer. They suffocate you to death!

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/983/whats-the-origin-of-the-myth-that-cats-can-suck-the-breath-out-of-babies

[GoldMember]

For years I've been wondering why Koreans choose to sit on hard concrete/dirt/rocks/bitumen rather than softer grass when going on a picnic.
Now I know, mouse poo.
Woops I stepped in some mouse poo!

[OiGirl]

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/funny-pictures-cat-has-bowl-on-head.jpg

[beercanman]

Seems to me that a lot of countries have many homeless dogs, but Korea has many homeless cats, and they are paranoid buggers, hiding under cars, fleeing from humans.

[Nierlisse]

That's really strange; my husband and I also have 2 cats but no one has told us about the possibility of death at their hands. (or paws) Most Koreans that come into our place want to pet them. But it's not that I don't believe you. Now I'm just going to wait for the day when I hear such things so I can laugh like I do every time I hear something ridiculous like that.

[Misera]

I just asked my students in my office if Koreans like cats.. and they nodded their heads slowly and turned back to drawing on my whiteboard....... and then turned back and were like, "wait.. what??" After hearing it again, they gave me a firm nod and told me that one of them has a cat~ Maybe the kids are still spared from the cat scare~