Stray cats and the risk of catching diseases from them are on the rise in Dubai, authorities warned on Wednesday.
Though exact figures are unavailable, a top municipality official said stray cats are breeding successfully in neighbourhoods here.
The advice came at a launch ceremony in Mercato Mall of a month-long public awareness campaign by Dubai Municipality against stray cats.
“Lack of controlling this phenomenon will cause health hazard to the society. It will also deform the general appearance of the city,'' read a handout at the ceremony.
Around half of the ‘street' cats in Dubai carry parasites that can cause blindness or miscarriage in pregnant women, XPRESS reported last year, citing a study then.
“If we catch a cat that has no owner tag and is sick, we'll put it to sleep -- humanely,'' said Adil Elbadri, Head of Stray Animals Control Unit of the municipality.
“Please don't feed or pet these cats; they could be infected with contagious diseases. ‘Prevention is better than cure,' as the saying goes. If you spot them, call our hotline number 800900.''
The unit caught 7,000 stray cats between 2006 and 2007, he said.
“If the cat is tagged, we call the owner and fine him or her around Dh500, depending on the case. Young and healthy cats are spayed or neutered to stop them from reproducing. They're then put back in their territory so that other cats don't replace them and start breeding. If they're old and sick, they're euthanised.''
The unit and its practices are approved by WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals), said Elbadri.
Authorities at the ceremony urged “cat lovers'' to only take in felines from ‘reputable' sources and have them tagged and vaccinated at any municipality or private vet clinic in Dubai to register them as disease-free.
According to Elbadri, Dubai is free of rabies, a fatal disease that causes swelling of the brain, violent shaking, an inability to drink water, and a collapse of the respiratory system, among other health problems. Rabies usually spreads after a bite or scratch from animals like cats and dogs.
Stray cats hotline: 800900
