DUBAI// At least 40 stray cats which had been looked after and fed for years by caring residents at Jebel Ali Village have all mysteriously disappeared.
The alarm was raised when the cats did not show up on Sunday for their daily feed.
“A lot of cats were left behind six years ago when people left the area for it to be redeveloped,” said one resident, who used to regularly feed the cats but asked not to be named.
“They have been cared for by various individuals. On the weekend, we noticed that there were no cats in the two roads where they usually are. We have been asking the municipality, and everybody else, and everyone is denying knowing anything. It appears that the cats have vanished overnight.
“Where are they? Nobody knows what’s going on.”
She said that the residents had the cats neutered and treated by vets, so they were all anxious about what has happened to them.
“We did not take the time to trap, sterilise and feed them, just for them to be taken away.”
Dubai Municipality said none of its teams had captured the animals.
“When we get complaints, we take the cats,” said Ghaith Al Falasi, head of the control unit at the municipality’s veterinary services. “But we don’t enter private developments.”
The municipality regularly traps stray cats, neuters and releases them if they are not sick or aggressive.
The Jebel Ali Primary School recently sent a letter to parents seeking their help to give the animals new homes.
“At least 10 feral cats have been around the school campus, spraying, urinating and littering areas frequented by pupils,” said the notice sent to students on February 4.
“Staff are now avoiding certain areas due to this problem. This cannot continue. The school has been active in contacting various support groups to assist in the relocation of these cats, with little success.
“We have made sure food sources are not available on the campus, as this will encourage them to stay and more to come. Some have already started to relocate. We have not instigated any inhumane response in this regard. If any of you are able to assist in the relocation of these animals, your help would be gratefully received.”
The school did not respond to requests for a comment.
Lorraine Ludman, a volunteer who helps raise funds to neuter stray cats, said she hoped the animals had not been left to die.
“The mystery is what happened to them? Somebody knows something about it. How do we know they could not have been driven to the desert and dumped there?
Ms Ludman said cats were important in a community.
“Rats are a vermin and cats are the natural solution. People paid out of their pockets to sterilise them. Someone has just thrown away Dh40,000 of our money.”
Developer Nakheel said it was not aware of the issue and had not taken any action.
pkannan@thenational.ae
