By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
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Stray cats have been the subject of complaints by residents in various parts of Doha: from clawing the car’s hood and roof to causing its engine into trouble.
An expatriate told Gulf Times that while he was driving his car to the office a few weeks ago, its engine suddenly stopped. When he opened the hood, he was surprised to see a small cat stuck in the fan belt near the engine.
He had to pay hundreds of riyals for repairs and spare parts. But the problem remains as the area he is living is infested with stray cats. “They keep on multiplying and I know that they will continue to be a big nuisance. I hope something could be done to address this,” added the expatriate who now tries “to secure” his car from cats.
He was sure he was not the only person who had experienced the problem.
Many residents complain of a foul smell emanating from their accommodations’ terraces caused by cats’ excreta and urine.
“A cat which gave birth to six kittens stay on our terrace and the smell of its waste is so horrible that it sticks with our newly-washed clothes,” said Julius, an expatriate staying in Matar Kadeem.
Some of his friends staying in Najma, Mansoura and Bin Omran face the same problem.
Ressie, a Filipino expatriate, said he often got “annoyed” when he saw cats’ footprints on the roof, trunk and hood of his car. “I just had it washed a few minutes ago paying QR45 and after returning from a meeting, this would be what I see.”
Many expatriates keep cats as pets. Regor S, who takes care of 21 cats, said the stray cat problem could be controlled through effective means. He referred to the work of Qatar Animal Welfare Society (QAWS) but was not sure if it still operated.
QAWS, known to be the only animal protection centre in Qatar, faces closure by next month. But some individuals and volunteer groups like the Cats in Qatar have started rescuing stray animals. The group said it promoted Qatar’s trap-neuter-return programme (TNR) for stray and feral cats.
“I often see cats being run over by vehicles on the road and it is horrible,” said Regor.
The Ministry of Environment has recently announced that special teams will carry out an extensive campaign to catch stray cats and dogs in Doha.
The campaign, the Ministry says, will be executed in accordance with international standards set by the World Society for the Protection of Animals.
