Abandoned cats find a saviour
Young grad feeds and provides treatment to the pets dumped by owners
KOTA BARU: Almost every evening, Nor Izyan Syahida Rosli will be at Pantai Cahaya Bulan, and while she may not be a celebrity, her appearance is much awaited by dozens of her loyal fans.
It has become the routine for Nor Izyan, 26, to visit the beach with an armful of gifts for more than 100 stray cats, some sickly and in need of treatment, that have been abandoned by their owners.
This cat feeder and rescuer said she started to feed the cats about a year ago.
“The first time I came here, I brought along 2kg of cat food, and it was snapped up in a very short time.
“At that time, too, I saw how the cats here searched for food, some scavenging through trash bins, but there was no food. It touched me and since then, I have been coming here often to feed the cats,” she said.
Nor Izyan, from Kampung Langgar about 24km from the beach, said she would always spend about two hours at the beach to feed the cats. “The cat food is contributed by Dady Oyen Strays Malaysia which distributes it to stray cat feeders and rescuers nationwide, including me,” she added.
A graduate of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) who holds a bachelor’s degree with honours in Social Science (International Relations), also provides treatment to the cats.
“Apart from food, I also bring medicines such as antibiotics, painkillers, vitamins, immune boosters and supplements as there are some (cats) that need treatment for diseases such as flu, fever, eyesore, diarrhoea, ringworm, as well as those affected by sporotrichosis and parvovirus.
“If the cat has mild symptoms of pain, I will treat it myself, but if the disease is severe, I will take it home and then take it to the veterinary clinic,” she added.
After a year of feeding and rescuing stray cats, Nor Izyan said she would continue to do so and hoped that the public would be more sensitive and not dump cats.