City Council: Finishing works at the cat shelter currently ongoing

Male’ City Council states fishing works are presently being undertaken at the cat shelter being developed by the Council and Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare in Hulhumale’.

Sharing the latest updates on the project with Sun, Male’ City Council’s Spokesperson Aminath Shathufa said a large percentage of the shelter has been completed including the office compartment and cages for cats.

She detailed that some additional facilities needed for the shelter were currently being built in the part of the shelter with trees.

“The finishing works (at the cat shelter) are mostly being undertaken at present,” she added.

However, she did not disclose an expected date of completion of the cat shelter and when stray cats will be relocated to the shelter.

Physical works on the cat shelter being developed to address the issue of the growing population of stray kids in Male’ began on March 19^th.

Prior to this, Male’ City Mayor Adam Azim has said efforts to relocate the stray cats in Male’ area to the vacant area in the land plot allocated for the shelter will commence in May. However, the work did not commence as scheduled. 

The cat shelter is being developed at a 5,000-square feet land plot at Farukolhufushi and will be open for service 24/7.

The large population of stay cats in Male’, while posing health risks, also poses other difficulties to its residents. Mayor Azim has previously underscored the Council receiving reports of people stepping on cat feces, especially prayer goers near mosques. Such incidents, as per the Mayor, are particularly common in Salman Mosque area with reports also being made after cats entered the premises.

As per the Mayor, the stray cat population is expected to climb up to 3,000.