Delicate creatures and pet creatures love adults and children, and it is one of the pets that parents prefer to be a childhood partner for their children at home, based on their conviction that raising a pet at home teaches us mercy and trains them to take responsibility towards the animal, which saves them from selfishness, improve them, and consoles their time by sharing play and fun.
This applies to the domestic pet cat, who is subject to organized medical care, and receives regular vaccinations that ensure good health, and protect children and adults from contracting the pathological infection. But what about street cats? Which many of us may encounter at the door of the building or in the street next to garbage bins, or we find some free and loose in the gardens. Here, the question arises: “How should we deal with it in this case?” Some resort to feeding it out of mercy, while others are afraid to approach it, and prevent their children from it. For fear of diseases. In the following lines, we seek to identify the different opinions on how to deal with stray cats, and should be governed by mercy, benefit, and safety in dealing with them?
Suha Siddiq, (a housewife) says: “The cat is a nice and weak animal, and I have been used to raising cats in the house since my childhood, and this is why I feel sympathy for street cats, especially when they are young and helpless, and I pity them from feeling hungry and thirsty. That is why I make sure to provide some of her favorite foods daily, such as cans of tuna, fish leftovers, and some water, and put them in a fixed place near the entrance to the building. As I find it sometimes gathering in hot summer times; A request for something from the coolness of air conditioners or a search for shade, and I think that this behavior is a humanitarian and necessary act as a matter of animal welfare. But I also make sure that my children are not allowed to play with it on the street or touch it for any reason. For reasons of personal hygiene; And to ensure their safety from catching the diseases that these cats may carry.
As for Salma Mahmoud, (an employee), she disagrees greatly with the previous opinion and says: It annoys me greatly the behavior of some who provide food to street cats in front of buildings permanently for several reasons, the most important of which are: that this causes pollution and attracts insects and flies around food leftovers, and secondly that this increases the influx of more From cats to the place, and some of them hide all the time in garbage containers, and sometimes one of the cats surprises us by jumping in front of us or chasing us while we climbed to the building seeking food. The gathering of cats in front of the building in the early morning prompts me to accompany my children daily to ride the school bus; Because they are afraid to pass through the gate with the presence of cats, and I have already written notice to my neighbors at the entrance to the building to stop feeding these cats; Because that causes us inconvenience and harm, and increases the number of cats, and the spread of pollution and insects.
Kholoud Haswani, (a university student), shared her opinion and says: In fact, I do not find street cats near my house or even on the street where I live in Sharjah. But sometimes I find a number of them, especially in public gardens and open places, and I remember that I put leftovers for them several times during family barbecues in the gardens that provide barbecue places; Where cats congregate around the scent of food; A request for food, and then we cannot deprive her of that simple request, so take pity on her and feed her, especially since feeding her will not bother anyone in this situation. But in other places, I am annoyed by her presence in some open restaurants and ask the staff to drive her away. At the university, if I notice the presence of some in the open spaces, I and my colleagues report their presence so that they can be dealt with and sent to pet shelters. To get you protection and care without causing infection or harm to humans.
Ringworm infection
Dr. warns. Muhammad Hussein – a veterinarian – from dealing with street cats, because it can be a source of many infections and diseases, such as “ringworm”, which is a skin disease whose symptoms are itching and a red rash, sometimes in the form of rings, and it is dry or wet, as well as shedding Hair in the affected area.
He explains: “The bacterial infection that occurs in the event of even minor scratches from an infected cat produces symptoms such as swelling or sores at the site of the scratch, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, fatigue, and loss of appetite, in addition to the parasite toxoplasmosis, and the thin Treponema like It has flu symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle aches, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. All of them are dangerous diseases that may be transmitted to humans when dealing with and touching street cats, especially children, and for this one must stay away from them, and not touch them for any reason, especially young children.
Stray cats are ferocious
Stray cats are street cats that have never lived in any household. Or it may be a domestic cat but lost its way and turned away from it, and with the passage of time, these cats are no pets at all and acquire the characteristics of ferocity and ferocity. Feral cats that have grown up outside avoid contact with humans. They are usually not sociable, and most of their lives live outdoors.
The “Sharjah Shelter for Cats and Dogs” is the ideal place to take care of stray animals. It provides medical care and nutrition for her and is a safe haven for her, in addition to opportunities for adoption. The collection and return program that the “shelter” follows after receiving the reports of those affected by the presence of cats in their area is the most humane and effective way. To control stray cats outdoors.
