The cats I know and have met in my life, almost always had their tail as decoration, indicator of mood, or for whatever reasons – full and in one peace. Even in ports in Sicily or Greece: They were meager, had spotty fur, or a dripping nose, but the tail was almost always “intact”.
Not so in Sabah. There must be a reason why most cats, especially in rural areas, have a half, a knot, or a memory of a tail, and if you see one with a intact one, you notice and wonder if they were just lucky, or are a “true pet” (not just fed out of mercy).
In general, it seems cats in Sabah are fed and cared for, they are not eaten (I was assured by locals), maybe because Sabah is at least partly Muslim, and I remember vaguely that the Prophet cut his coat with a sleeping cat in order not to wake her/him/it up. But the tails in mostly-Muslim cities like Semporna or Tawau were all “short”. So that theory cannot be confirmed.
Also I wondered if dogs or doors are a reason. About dogs: In the country side they are everywhere: on the streets (as in: the middle of the street), in the markets searching through the rubbish, in the gardens (eating ducks and chicken). They often have an “owner”, but they are not necessarily fed by them (like soldiers in a medieval army) and have to look for food for themselves. So maybe cat-tail is a delicatesse for them, or a low hanging fruit? Hm.
As for the doors: Maybe you have seen a poor cat with a zig-zag-tail, and the answer to the “how” is obvious. But in rural Borneo, you don’t have that much swing dors, and they have less tail-cutting-power than a German Geze door.
So I have to research more and deeper. In case of success, I will comment here. If you have a good explanation, please write also in the comments. Thank you!
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