Abu Dhabi’s animal organisation Feline Friends is working hard to find homes for the city’s unwanted cat population
It’s that time of the year again when families are leaving the desert behind for somewherer cooler, they pack their bags… but not their pets.
Unfortunately some owners, unaware of any other option, choose to throw their pets onto the streets to brave the sweltering summer on their own.
Domestic cats are especially vulnerable to fights, diseases and accidents, as they lack the skills needed to fend for themselves and forage for food.
While strays have been known to engage in annoying behaviour such as spraying and fighting, they do play a vital role in keeping our communities healthy by significantly lowering the rodent and roach population.
Abu Dhabi residents have always been known to have strong humanitarian and charitable impulses, and Feline Friends is another example of those traits. Operated by a small group of volunteers, it was founded in 1991 by Lesley King and is one of the most dedicated organisations in Abu Dhabi working to improve the quality of life for strays.
Volunteers help domesticated cats find loving homes, and provide relief to sick and injured cats and kittens. “But there is still so much to do and achieve and hence we always need more foster parents, volunteers and additional funding,” said Vasudha Bhatnagar, Feline Friends’ chairperson.
Fundraising is also a crucial factor for Feline Friends as it is a non-profit organisation that relies on donations and finances procured through fundraisers. With the yearly running costs reaching AED 150,000, it is not always easy to gather enough support.
“You can help make a real difference because every dirham that you donate
is used to help the cats of Abu Dhabi,” said Bhatnagar.
The Feline Friends trapping team use compassionate and innovative methods to trap cats for sterilisation, take them to the vets for their operations, and then release them back to where they were found. While the team will usually use a trapping cage and gloves, they have had their fair share of strange encounters; cats stuck in drains, locked rooms, abandoned buildings or in cars.
Overall however, the rescuing of strays can be done by anybody with patience and time.
The homing and fostering team ensures that cats and kittens that are surrendered to Feline Friends are well cared for and healthy as they wait for their new families. The homing team manages the calls that come in about surrendered cats or those wanting to adopt. The team accepts the cats into the programme, takes them through the process of their health checks, screens potential adoptive families and, finally, sees them off to their new homes.
In cases where there are no immediate permanent takers, the fostering volunteers continue to provide homes for those cats and kittens that need a little extra time until a new home is found for them.
“We have so many cats and kittens that urgently need a new home,” said Bhatnagar. “We are having an Adoptation Day this weekend which is a joint venture with Cloud 9, so please come along to it as our cats are desperate to meet you,” she added. The event takes place on Saturday 6th July from 4pm to 6pm at Cloud9 Pet Hotel and Care, Khalifa City A, Street 32.
Our very own graphic designer, Richard Frost, has fostered cats from Feline Friends a total of eight times and has found it to be a rewarding experience. “We began fostering cats because we found it heartbreaking to see the situation that some of the street cats were in,” said Frost. “We wanted to help in our own small way. It’s great to be able to take in an injured or sick cat and help them to recover.”
Feline Friends gladly welcomes any help that can be provided, but here are a few things you can do individually to spare your pet, cat or dog, the fate of a stray:
- When you go away on holiday make sure you have arrangements in place for someone to care for your cat, such as either boarding facilities at your local veterinary clinic, the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital or a pet sitters. Feline Friends boarding facilities are limited so be sure to refer to them months in advance.
- Look into pet sitting services such as Homely Pet who carry out routine visits to your home.
- If your pet is a dog, contact Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital.
- When you are leaving Abu Dhabi for good, contact the import-export department of a veterinary clinic so they can advise you on the documentation and process to take your cat with you. If for any reason you cannot take your cat with you and are unable to find a home for it with a willing friend or neighbour you should contact Feline Friends.
For more information on this weekend’s adoption day contact 050 823 1569 or email
