Stray cat community in need of human help
Animal lovers use their own money to feed undernourished felines
AJMAN // The sight of dozens of malnourished stray cats on the streets of Ajman was enough to convince Alia Alchamaa to make the 140-kilometre round trip from her Dubai home each day to help them.
The Syrian travels to the Corniche and the Al Nuaimia 3, Al Bustan, Al Rashidiya and Mowaihat neighbourhoods to feed as many of the strays as she can, paying for their food, water and sometimes even medicine out of her own pocket.
“Their health is not good and they get sick because of lack of food, especially in summer. When the temperature in August and September is very high their condition becomes worse because they also suffer from dehydration,” she said.
Ms Alchamaa, a physiologist, has appealed to animal lovers to help care for the strays by leaving food at designated areas.
She also suggests that some of the animals could be neutered or taken in and rehomed after being checked by veterinarians.
“We ask for help to provide feeding stations for the mother cats and their kittens to save them, because we cannot foster all of them.
“We also want to raise awareness among the community to stop people from hurting them and for the police to fine motorists who run over them intentionally,” said Ms Alchamaa, 50.
Waliya Baig, a Grade 9 pupil, is among the growing number of people who leave food out for cats in Al Rashidiya.
Waliya, who uses her pocket money to buy food, said the animals needed to be cared for properly and taken off the streets to keep them safe.
“We are trying our best to improve their lives but there is no animal welfare education here,” she said.
“Nobody really cares about the small creatures.
“There are no trap, neuter and release (TNR) programmes and no government support as far as I can see. It’s heartbreaking, to be honest.”
Waliya is always on the lookout for strays that could be neutered and possibly adopted. She said children should be taught to care for animals and not to abuse them.
“I have seen little children kick injured cats and I’ve seen men and women laughing at us when we feed cats and play with them,” the 15-year-old said. “TNR programmes should be carried out and there should be feeding stations to look after the cats.” In September, an Emirati teenager was filmed throwing a cat against a wall in Ajman. He was arrested after the video was posted online but later released without charge.
Police later asked parents to teach their children about being kind to animals.
In June, residents of Al Mowaihat voiced their fears over packs of stray dogs that were roaming the neighbourhood. Many residents said they carried protection against the animals, especially at night or early mornings.
To prevent the abuse of animals, Sheikh Khalifa, The President, issued Federal Law No 18 for 2016 that levies a one-year jail term and a fine of not more than Dh200,000.
Palestinian teacher Mohammed Salim regularly sees a cat with her kittens lurking in bushes and near rubbish bins in Al Mowaihat looking for food and hiding from people who throw stones or kick them.
He invites the neighbourhood strays into his yard, where he provides food each day.
“I have a cat at my house and she is pregnant now, so I cannot foster all of the cats I see on the street or around my villa,” the 56-year-old said.
“They enter the yard of my villa and the only thing I can do for them is to put food out. Sometimes I find them in the rubbish bin searching for food.
“The cats need a feeding station and animal welfare associations to save them.”
‘ There are no trap, neuter and release programmes and no government support as far as I can see. It’s heartbreaking Waliya Baig Cat lover