Finding homes for left behind felines
Story and photos by CHIN MUI YOON
Metro, 11 Nov 2005

FOR nearly a month, art designer Mark Harris has been diligently feeding some 30 abandoned cats at a vacant piece of land near his house in Jalan Mesra, Kuala Lumpur.  

The cats were abandoned after their owners vacated a squatter colony that was previously there. Located behind the Keramat LRT station, the land is today rubble-strewn and overgrown with grass. 

Every morning at 10am, Harris arrives with a bucket of cat food. Upon hearing his familiar footsteps and voice, several cats come out of their hiding places to greet him and get their food. A burst water pipe on the land has allowed the felines to have fresh drinking water. 

“It is sad seeing the cats living in pitiful conditions in the open, where their homes are now in gutters or underneath broken planks of wood,” said Harris. 

“These are homely cats and they have grown used to living among humans. Many do not run away. Some crave affection and care more than food.  

“Unfortunately, we see them being abused by children throwing stones at them. One night, I had to chase away a van that was purposely trying to run them down for fun,” he said. 

It is at this location that the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) will embark on a new project to save stray cats from overpopulation. 

The Friends of Felix project is set to take off on Nov 12 and cat lovers, or those seeking to adopt a cat, have the whole morning to choose a feline friend to bring home. There is no fee to pay, as Harris is sponsoring the RM70 for every cat to be neutered, vaccinated and de-wormed.  

The Felix project is named after a beautiful black and white cat that was dumped here. 

“The SPCA is neutering these abandoned cats and they will also be de-wormed and vaccinated before they are put up for adoption,” said SPCA animal inspector Sabrina Yeap. 

“It is the first such project to release stray cats back into the streets to give them a chance to live. The neutered cats will have the tips of their left ears tagged 10mm to identify them as having been neutered. 

“Many of these animals are healthy although they were initially malnourished. There are tabbies, pure white felines and even a Siamese cat. We urge people planning to get a cat to adopt one here on Nov 12,” she added. 

A female cat, if left un-spayed, can easily produce 12 to 15 kittens a year.  

Yeap said cats adapt easily to a new home but they will need to be kept in a confined or fenced-up space with a sleeping area, food and drinks, and a litter box for a while.  

Harris said the cats have been struggling to survive on their own after being left behind.  

“Cats are territorial and the males fight easily, resulting in scratches and injuries.  

“They have also been subjected to mindless violence by passers-by who find joy in hurting these defenseless creatures. I truly hope every cat will find a home soon,” said Harris, who has already adopted two kittens and two cats, one that is blind in his left eye.  

Cats that are not adopted on Nov 12 will be sent to Noah's Ark animal sanctuary in Johor. For more information, call the SPCA at 03-4256 5312 or Yeap at 016-631 9018.