Cats save Japanese Empire

In 12th century Japan, only royalty was allowed to own cats, who were richly pampered and kept on leads. However, disaster struck, hordes of rats began to eat all the grain and the much-prized silkworms. There was only one option open to the emperor: he decreed that all cats must be freed. It worked, the cats put an end to the rat problem, the crop and the silk were saved.