The young kittens get wet food, while the older cats get portions of dry food. As we make our way through our route, the cats greet us (meow, not hello!) with their tails high in the air.
Conditions for stray animals in Abu Dhabi are extremely harsh. Competition for food becomes more fierce as populations increase. Fresh water is scarce and diseases spread quickly through groups. This is where my good friend Marwan (cat super-hero by night, mild mannered lawyer by day) comes in. Marwan is an active member of Animal Action Abu Dhabi; an animal rights group started by expatriates to deal with these issues. Volunteers in the group go out three times a week to feed strays, bringing along fresh water, dry and wet food.
In addition to feeding, the group also traps strays and neuters them, thereby keeping the population in check in certain areas. After a cat has been neutered, it will stay overnight in an enclosure to recover before being released to the same spot that it was picked up. In order to identify neutered cats, once they are anesthetized, the doctor will clip the top part of one of the cat’s ears. This might seem cruel at first but the cat is under general anesthetic at the time and does not feel a thing. The method is a great way to assess a cat’s status from a distance.
While not everyone will agree that neutering the street cats is the right thing to do, the procedure does solve a lot of problems. Male cats that are neutered are much more docile; territorial squabbles become less fierce, young kittens don’t have to worry about being suffocated by roaming males and the cats can live long, normal and healthy lives.
The streets of Abu Dhabi are littered with stray cats. They congregate around garbage tins, restaurants, or places near little pockets of sand. Unfortunately, as the population of humans has steadily increased, more and more expatriates began feeding strays. While feeding strays is a very nice gesture, it does not really solve the problem. Groups like Animal Action Abu Dhabi go a long way to help strays live healthy, normal lives.
To find out more about Animal Action Abu Dhabi and to see how you can contribute, please visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Animal-Action-Abu-Dhabi/106075079440617. The group is always grateful for volunteers. And, you too might get the chance to be a super hero by night.
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