60 "Cat Soldiers" Guarding the Granary
Photographic journalist Sun Zhenfang
Hotline for Cat Soldiers: 86429383
Yin Chunzhu works at the Dalian Storage and Trade Company of COFCO Liaoning Oil & Grain Import and Export Corporation. He is neither responsible for unloading goods nor for inventory checks, yet he is respected everywhere because he is the "Commander of Cats," in charge of a very important task—raising cats.
The granary where Yin Chunzhu works stores organic crops such as red beans and soybeans destined for export to Japan and South Korea. Chemical synthetic rat poison might affect the quality of the grain, so the company began using domestic cats to catch rats. Yin Chunzhu's "Cat Soldier Force" consists of 60 cats of various sizes. In recent months, under Yin Chunzhu's training, these cats have been trained into reconnaissance cats, ambush cats, and patrol cats, earning Yin Chunzhu the nickname "Commander of Cats." The company even built a "Cat Barracks" specifically for the cats to allow Yin Chunzhu to better manage them.
Nowadays, with fewer rats in the granary, the loss of grain has decreased, but Yin Chunzhu is still not satisfied. "When the cats are busy, they still seem insufficient in number." Therefore, Yin Chunzhu hopes to recruit more "cat soldiers" through this newspaper, aiming to reach a scale of 100 cats.
Episode 1: "Prequel of the Cat Soldiers"
Rat Infestation in the Granary Led to the Cat Soldier Plan
The granary where Yin Chunzhu works has a long history. Employees here know that wherever there is grain, there will be rats. The company spends a lot of effort every year on pest control, but the results have always been unsatisfactory. His fumigation and epidemic prevention team was originally mainly responsible for preserving grain and ensuring it does not mold or deteriorate through fumigation methods, with pest control being just one of their responsibilities. However, now it has become his main job.
"Every summer and autumn is the most active period for rats. They collect grain and settle down for winter," Yin Chunzhu said. At the peak of rat activity, almost every bag of grain could be seen bitten open, and scattered grain was everywhere. "Seeing those grains wasted makes every worker in the grain system heartbroken."
To catch rats, the granary staff tried many methods. Initially, they used rat poison, but the rats wouldn't die immediately after eating it; instead, they would struggle and run into the rice stacks, contaminating the rice. Later, they started trying rat traps to exterminate rats, but the rats became increasingly cunning and wouldn't fall for the traps. Moreover, rats have an extremely strong reproductive capacity, with a female rat able to reproduce nearly 200 baby rats each year. Even if the entire warehouse were filled with traps, it would be difficult to completely exterminate the rats.
"Later, we heard that a granary in Panjin had successfully used raising cats to deal with rats, giving us a new idea for pest control," Yin Chunzhu recalled. "To be honest, when my leader first asked me to raise cats, I resisted because I don't like cats—I prefer dogs." Yin Chunzhu said, "At the time, I thought, as a proper grain warehouse worker, shouldn't I focus on my real work instead of raising kittens? Isn't that neglecting my duties?"
Subsequently, Yin Chunzhu and the granary staff began collecting stray cats. "Back then, stray cats weren't as common, so we mostly adopted from cat owners' homes or bought them from pet markets," a granary employee explained. Due to limited resources, over several years, the granary only managed to collect more than 20 stray cats, far from enough to meet the needs of pest control.
Episode 2: "Assembly Call"
This Newspaper Helps Recruit 60 Cat Soldiers
On October 15th, the leadership of COFCO Liaoning Oil & Grain Import and Export Corporation's Dalian Storage and Trade Company came to the Peninsula Morning Post for help. The number of stray cats in the granary hadn't increased much, and due to birth, aging, sickness, and death, the "cat soldiers" in the granary were gradually decreasing. "If you find homeless stray cats, you can send them to our granary. We need 50-60 cats to watch over the granary," the granary staff stated. Recruiting cat soldiers to guard the granary not only provides stray cats with a home but also gives the cats a purpose, making it a win-win situation.
On the day the article was published, a pet organization contacted the granary staff and conducted an on-site inspection shortly afterward. Soon, various cats gathered from Lushun, Jinzhou, Xinghai, and other places, forming a "special forces" unit of 60 cats. Yin Chunzhu officially took up the position of "Commander of Cats."
"A woman even brought a Persian cat with one yellow eye and one blue eye—it was clearly a very valuable breed," a female granary staff member recalled. "Before she left, she visited several times to carefully inquire about living conditions before finally leaving her cat behind. She even shed tears as she left."
To provide perfect living conditions for the cat soldiers, the granary specially assigned four people, including Yin Chunzhu, to form a "logistics department" and set aside a room as the kitchen for the cat soldiers. Every day, Yin Chunzhu and his colleagues prepare one or two meals for the cats. High-quality cat food, fresh small fish, and whole sausages make up the main content of the cat soldiers' diet.
Additionally, at the most sheltered spot on the west end of the granary, the granary specifically allocated funds to build two "cat barracks" for the cat soldiers—one is a six-square-meter-sized activity cabin, and the other is a brick house. There are wooden planks separating the ground from the cement floor, covered with cotton quilts. The granary also specially installed heating.
Episode 3: "Legend of the Cat Soldiers"
Cat Soldiers Clearly Divided Tasks, Successfully Exterminating Rat Infestations
On December 6th, reporters visited the granary of COFCO Liaoning Oil & Grain Import and Export Corporation's Dalian Storage and Trade Company. Cats could be seen everywhere inside the grain piles, in the courtyard, and in the warehouses, creating a unique landscape.
Following Yin Chunzhu to near the "barracks," upon hearing a whistle from the 56-year-old Yin, more than twenty colorful cat soldiers darted out from all directions, emitting shy "meows," and some impatient cats even lay down in front of him hoping for affection.
"They aren't ordinary cats; they are well-trained cats that patrol and stand guard!" Yin Chunzhu, the owner of the cats and head of the granary's fumigation and epidemic prevention team, pointed to the nearby cats and said that when the cat soldiers first arrived, some showed signs of water and soil incompatibility. After treatment and adaptation, the cat soldiers divided themselves based on individual "interests and preferences."
"Some cats love to run, so I trained them with cat food to become patrol cats, patrolling back and forth between the grain piles daily and capturing any roaming rats on the spot," Yin Chunzhu pointed to the more than twenty cats beside him and said, "These are all patrol cats currently executing missions."
"Not all cats are so obedient; some require special treatment," Yin Chunzhu pointed to a white short-tailed white cat and a little black cat basking in the sun nearby and said, "They are reconnaissance cats. Although they may look lazy, they are particularly good at catching rats." The work areas of reconnaissance cats and patrol cats differ; they must deal with rats that have already sneaked into the granary and are ready to attack the grain storage. The little black cat seems to enjoy this new job, often sniffing around places where rats frequently appear and occasionally "meowing" a few times, likely scaring the rats half to death even if they aren't caught.
"You only see a minority," Yin Chunzhu said. The largest branch of the cat soldier force is the ambush cats, "all hiding in the grain piles, firmly watching the granary, not letting a single rat enter." In Yin Chunzhu's view, cats capable of carrying out ambush tasks must have patience and be able to stay in one place without moving.
After more than two months of training and actual combat, the cat soldiers have gradually entered their roles, achieving remarkable results. "Although we rarely see the live process of cats catching rats, it's evident that there's less damaged grain in the granary, and fewer roaming rats, all thanks to the cat soldiers," a female staff member said. The granary once made a specific statistical comparison and found that the cost of feeding the cat soldiers was only equivalent to half the loss caused by rats damaging the grain in the past.
The Ordinary Business Card of the Cat Soldiers
Love the granary, love catching rats.
Love patrolling, reconnaissance, and ambush, love cat food, small fish, and sausage.
We are a group of special employees.
We work diligently, treating the company as our home.
We have formed a 'special forces,' working together according to our division of labor.
We are registered employees,
But receive no salary monthly...
We are a group of cats,
Soldier cats.
Diary of a Cat Soldier (Fictional)
October 16, 2010 Weather: Overcast turning to thunderstorms
I am a stray cat, wandering around Chunliu and Liujiabridge. Recently, I've discovered that life as a stray is getting harder. Often, I eat one meal and miss the next, and I'm constantly bullied by nearby dogs. Frankly, I'm tired of this kind of life. I once naively hoped someone would adopt me, providing food and shelter, allowing me to live comfortably, but whenever I mentioned such "ideals" to my companions, I received only ridicule.
People say opportunities are always given to those who are prepared, and of course, to cats too. This morning, I heard that a granary had advertised in the newspaper, seeking cats that can catch rats. Ha! That's our specialty. Around noon, a kind person brought me here. When I first arrived, I wasn't accustomed to the vast space, reportedly 150,000 square meters, storing tens of thousands of tons of grain, much of which is exported products like red beans and soybeans, making us feel a great sense of responsibility.
What needs to be particularly emphasized is that our treatment here is too good. We eat cat food, small fish, and sausages; we live in cozy little cabins warm in winter and cool in summer. I can't help but admit, I've been overwhelmed by unexpected happiness.
November 20, 2010 Weather: Overcast turning to clear
After a month of living and training, I and the other 60 "comrades" have fully adapted to the environment of the granary and begun large-scale rat-catching operations. "Commander" divided us into patrol teams, reconnaissance teams, and ambush teams based on our characteristics and preferences. My fellow 20 "comrades" and I belong to the patrol team, patrolling between the grain piles daily. When we encounter roaming rats, ha! We capture them on the spot. A few days ago, my comrade "Xiaobai" did something impressive, catching seven or eight rats in a row, arranging them neatly and boasting to "Commander," earning a big handful of cat food, envying me greatly.
What makes us happiest is when the granary opens its doors. Whenever grain is shipped out, hidden rats are driven out, scattering in all directions, and we rush forward—what the locals call—"catch!"
December 6, 2010 Weather: Clear
Unknowingly, I've lived in the granary for nearly two months. With everyone's efforts, the number of rats in the granary has sharply decreased, and instances of random roaming have become rarer. However, this doesn't mean our mission is complete. Some rats may still be hiding in secluded spots, waiting for the next spring to explode collectively. For this, we must remain vigilant. I've heard that "Commander" plans to publicly recruit more cat soldiers throughout society. It's great news. We sincerely welcome new friends to join us. Not only does the granary provide a warm home for stray cats, but we are also engaged in the noble cause of protecting grain. We hope all knowledgeable cats across society will join us. The contact number is 86429383.
Journalist Wang Lei