Being in Kuching, the main surprise is how the locals refer to cats.
Kuching is a Paradise for lovers of cats.
They’re everywhere: in parks and on road signs, roundabouts and rooftops. However, can’t see themselves tailed, and their numerous sculptures installed in unexpected places…
According to one version, the name of the city – a word cognate with the word “cat”. Other etymologists claim that the name Kuching is derived from the Chinese word “port” from the name of the fruit mata kucing, which is widely distributed in Malaysia and Indonesia, or even from the name of the river, Sungai Kuching, the river which crosses the city.
The governorship of Sarawak, which includes Kuching, two hundred years ago was part of Brunei. This area was donated to sir James Brooke, who became the first white Raja. Brooke has deserved a special arrangement of the heads of Singapore as assisted in the suppression of the uprising of the Malays. British skillfully managed his patrimony: he struggled with unsanitary conditions, was engaged in the construction (in particular, under his rule, appeared hospital, Fort, prison and other facilities required for urban infrastructure). The family of Brooke ruled Sarawak until 1941, until the Japanese occupation.
In Kuching still there is a legend that Brooke arrived in Kuching, asked a passerby, in what he city. He replied, “Kuching”. At the same time – pointed to the cat. It is difficult to judge whether it actually, but the name just stuck.
The close relationship of the city with cats shows a lot of facts. Thus, the international College of advanced technology is called I-CATS, radio Cats FM.
College in Kuching called I-CATS international College of advanced technology Sarawak, and the local radio station Cats FM. The main attraction of the city is, of course, the cats Museum, which displays more than 4 thousand exhibits, including paintings and sculptures related to cats. There is a mummified cat from Ancient Egypt gallery related to cat is, and photos of five species of wild cats found in Borneo.
Another story says that the cat saved the Malays in the middle of the last century. So, in Borneo was an outbreak of malaria. To combat malarial mosquitoes, the authorities decided to use the insecticide DDT, the main victims of which were cats. Destroying a quadruped, epidemiologists have doomed the city to a rat infestation and the plague. Then in rural areas were artificially introduced 14 million cats.
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