Abu Dhabi: Thousands of stray cats are being fed on a daily basis thanks to an organised effort by Animal Welfare Abu Dhabi, a volunteering organisation that is dedicated towards setting up cat feeding stations around the capital.
The number of stray cats on the streets of Abu Dhabi is estimated to be in the thousands, providing the city’s municipality with a major challenge. Often times many of the cats go hungry or catch diseases due to a lack of care and malnutrition.
“If people see unhealthy cats on the streets it sends out the wrong impression of Abu Dhabi, and we don’t want that. We want Abu Dhabi to be the best it can, and to be a place that is recognised for its animal welfare,” said Dr Susan Aylott, the founder of Animal Welfare Abu Dhabi.
“Through this initiative we have set up cat feeding stations that are clean, hygienic and away from public view. The stations are cleaned on a daily basis by our volunteers to make sure nothing gets dirty,” Dr Aylott added.
According to Dr Aylott, each station is run by at least five volunteers, and receives permission from the municipality before it is opened.
“We put out clear container boxes which have our logo and my number on them,” she said. “One container will have dry food and the other will have fresh water. The dry cat food does not leave a bad smell, and it doesn’t attract insects either,” she added.
As well as feeding the cats, another major aspect of their work is a sterilisation programme to help reduce the cat population.
“We work alongside government pest agencies that carry out sterilisations and vaccinations for the cats in our colonies. So each one of our small colonies will therefore be sterilised allowing it to become a stable colony that will not grow,” she told Gulf News.
“Under the joint programme more than 300 cats have been sterilised, but a lot of work remains to be done. Our plan is to reduce the cat population by 66 per cent over the next seven years, which is quite a short period of time and so it will require a lot work,” she added.
The sterilised cats are also monitored thanks to a barcode microchip that is placed inside them by the pest agency.
“We log all the sterilised cats in our records along with their photographs. We know exactly where and when they were taken in for sterilisation; all this information is then sent to our database,” Dr Aylott said.
“Once the cats are back on the streets we ensure they have a good environment and that they’re being well looked after, and fed with the food they need through our feeding stations,” she added.
The organisation has also received some high profile support from the likes of Samantha Button, wife of Formula One driver Jenson Button.
“She was staying in Abu Dhabi for the Formula One race and saw some sick kittens on the street, and this made her feel very bad because she loves animals. Afterwards she contacted us and said she would support us in any way she could,” Dr Aylott said.
“So what we’re looking at here is making a global impact because you’ve got tourists who are coming from abroad, high profile visitors who are concerned about animals, so in one way we’re helping improve relations and presenting Abu Dhabi in a very good, positive way,” she added.
Tracy Ahmad, a volunteer who runs two cat feeding stations with her husband for the organisation, encouraged all animal lovers to join the initiative.
“I personally love cats, so it’s really great to be able to help them. We help feed around 15 to 20 different cats every night, and fill the boxes with food and water three times a week,” she told Gulf News.
“Our personal cost comes to Dh200 per week, but that’s mainly because we have 5 feeding boxes, the average price for one feeding box would be cheaper,” she added.
Despite the personal costs, she says it is all worth it because it is for a good cause.
“The main purpose is to make sure the cats are healthy and happy. Everyone deserves a chance to eat, whether they’re a human or an animal.”
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Residents who wish to become volunteers can do so by contacting Animal Welfare Abu Dhabi through their official Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Animal-Welfare-Abu-Dhabi-575644272547848/
