China man kept 7 cows in apartment, asked to remove animals by neighbours

The story of a fifth-floor household in China that keeps cattle on their balcony has gone viral on Douyin, the Chinese iteration of TikTok, according to a report by The South China Morning Post (SCMP). 

Videos of seven calves eating meals on the balcony of a residential building in southwest China's Sichuan province have been viewed 4 million times on Douyin.

The animals were present in the flat only for a day before neighbours annoyed by their mooing and smell apprised officials, an occupant of the residential compound was quoted as saying by SCMP. According to a Phoenix Weekly report, officials removed the calves on July 14.

The cattle weighed between 10 and 20kg each, the community's party secretary, Zhang Dayou, was quoted as saying by Fengmian News.

After their removal, property management staff were caught in a series of arguments with the owner of the cattle, who was trying to sneak them back into the apartment.

The apartment complex houses people resettled from nearby villagers, which could explain the situation. Earlier, a resident complained that many households were raising chickens in their apartments. Chickens were one thing, but cattle were quite another, he added.

Similar cases have been reported in the past as well. On July 15, a woman from Heilongjiang province complained about her neighbour who was downstairs from her apartment.

The woman's family was forced to move out of their apartment as they were concerned that the smell might harm the health of her one-year-old child.