Feeding stations for stray cats to be installed at some Abu Dhabi communities

Provis is building five feeding stations at The Arc at Gate Towers on Reem and plans to expand the initiative

Aisha Hussain, left, and Evelyn Bukiejko, are both residents of Reem Island and members of the Cats of Al Reem Island Volunteer Group, which takes care of cats living on the island. Victor Besa / The NationalShow less

A property manager plans to install feeding stations for stray cats across its communities in Abu Dhabi.

Provis is building five "houses" with food and water for stray cats living around The Arc at Gate Towers on Reem Island, after a trial over several weeks.

Residents said they were pleased with the decision and hoped it would end the repeated removal of their own food bowls at the site.

“This will help tremendously. There is no worry about bowls going missing,” said Aisha Hussain, a teacher from the UK, who regularly feeds the colony of about 23 cats.

We wanted to address this situation and do our part to keep [the cats] well fed without causing inconvenience to anyone in the community

“The gardeners used to remove them because obviously they weren’t allowed. Then you would have to have these awkward discussions with security.”

The new stations, spread across three locations, will provide a permanent place for the cats to feed from, she said.

It will also help with residents who are not as keen on cats as she is.

“This creates a sense of togetherness. I think it teaches them compassion as well because they realise people have made an effort to do this,” Ms Hussain said.

Dana Awad, executive director at Provis, said stray or abandoned cats were a common sight around its residential communities, which stretched from Raha Beach to Yas Island and in to the city.

But unauthorised feeding can sometimes leave a bad smell or affect a community's image, she said.

“Many of our residents love cats, and so do we at Provis, so we wanted to address this situation and do our part to keep them well fed without causing inconvenience to anyone in the community,” Ms Awad said.

“We found an effective solution that enables people to feed these cats while complying with the community’s rules.”

She said a team at Provis built and installed the stations and is helping to keep them clean with help from volunteer residents.

“We at Provis are also encouraging more volunteers to support stray cats in our communities while following the international animal welfare guidelines,” she said.

“This idea has proved to be very popular with Gate and Arc Towers residents and we are planning to roll it out across other communities we currently manage.”

There are tens of thousands of stray cats across the capital, which has operated a trap, neuter and release programme since 2007 in an effort to limit the population that had been growing out of control.

Tadweer workers capture stray cats as part of a trap, neuter and release programme in Abu Dhabi last year:

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  Tadweer workers set about capturing stray cats and dogs at Family Park in central Abu Dhabi. All photos by Victor Besa / The National

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  The process is all done by hand and requires patience and skill

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  The public are urged not to leave out food for strays as it can quickly spoil in the heat and make animals sick

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  Cats and dogs are caught every day. A trap, neuter and release drive for cats has led to a fall in the number of strays found every day from about 70 to 15 to 30, officials said

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  Family Park attracts many strays due to its location in central Abu Dhabi

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  Mohamed Al Naqbi, head of pest control projects at Tadweer, said the process was important for public health

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  Strays that are caught are taken to Falcon Hospital, where vets and medics have the expertise to treat all kinds of creatures

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  Strays are spayed or neutered to prevent breeding and brought back to good health.

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  Director Dr Margit Muller said: 'When they come they are so sick, then after a few weeks you get a beautiful animal. Every animal deserves the chance for a happy life'

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  Veterinarian Ronalee Toribio gently injects a deworming solution to kittens at Falcon Hospital

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  Animals are carefully nursed back to health

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  Kittens are given their daily supplements at the Falcon Hospital near Abu Dhabi International Airport

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  Adoption papers for some of the animals at the clinic

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  Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, June 22, 2020. Veterinarian Ronalee Toribio, a gently orally injects deworming solution to kittens at the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital. Victor Besa / The National Section: NA Reporter: Haneen Dajani

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  Staff have seen a rise in adoption interest due the virus outbreak, as more residents spend time at home

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  Dr Muller and her team said they love the work they do with animals

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  The Dog Maternity unit at the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

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  Head veterinarian and supervisor of the Pet Care Centre, Gelah Magtuba (left) with co-veterinarian, Ronalee Toribio

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  Kittens ready for adoption

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  A cat with her week old kittens

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  Head vet Gelah Magtuba with her favourite cat, Connie