Tinn and I sat surrounded by nearly a hundred cats in a parking lot hidden away from the marine drive, the sea breeze at our backs, and a chorus of meows peppering our conversation.
Walk onto any Male' street at any time of the day, and you are bound to run into a feline friend.
But these feline friends are at risk, and are a risk.
Whether you consider cats as pets or pests, it cannot be denied that this is an issue that needs swift addressing.
The stray cat population in the Maldives is ever increasing, especially in the Greater Male' Region. Cats, left to the streets, reproduce, and reproduce at speed. The rising cat population on the streets have eventually given rise to an increased appearance of what should not be, such as violence against stray cats, rapid spread of diseases amongst cats, public hygiene issues with people feeding cats on street corners, and so on.
Feline Welfare Organization (FWO) is a group of volunteers working together for the well-being of cats. Their work also focuses on finding feasible solutions to public concerns while also balancing the protection of cats.
This video covers a chat with Ahmed Vision (Tinn), Founder and President of FWO, the man that cat lovers across the country approach for any feline related concerns.
Tinn and I sat surrounded by over a hundred cats in a parking lot hidden away from the marine drive, the sea breeze at our backs, and a chorus of meows peppering our conversation.
Tinn says that one of the reasons for the increasing number of cats on the streets is pet cats not being neutered or spayed, resulting in home owners releasing newly born kittens onto the streets, where the cycle repeats.
Another fact that shocked me is the prevalence of dangerous, even fatal, diseases at the known stray cat gathering areas. When you leave your cats in these areas, or surrounding streets, it is no less than a death sentence for them.
Tinn's opinion is that even in cases of violence against cats, it is often not these lovable creatures that offend the attacker, but rather the issues that arise with uncontrolled multiplication of stray cats. For example, feeding on random street corners leads to cats frequenting residential neighbourhoods, with the leftover cat food, and inevitable waste, becoming a nuisance to residents. When this is left unaddressed for long, oftentimes some people lash out at the easy target, which happens to be the cat.
High numbers of cats is not just a Male' issue, with islands also now facing rising populations of strays. Tinn urges councils and NGOs from such islands to reach out to Feline Welfare Organization through any social medium, who will then assist in finding practical solutions.
Watch the video for the full conversation, where we discuss adoption, neutering, fostering, and other ways you can contribute to the welfare of feline friends, and towards resolving societal issues that arise out of feline overpopulation.
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