Samvada News Bureau
A resident of C Block was taken to the hospital after an aggressive cat attacked and bit. The resident had to go through the painful process of six injections as it was a wild/ stray cat. Cat menace was recently unheard of, but now the cats are making news for all the wrong reasons. Are their canine counterparts a little relieved or feeling left out since it was they who were hogging all the limelight when it came to any menace caused by strays?
It may come as a surprise but this cute-looking species is causing nuisance and terror in the sector, especially in C Block. Another resident from the same block shared that a house in their back lane used to feed a few cats. These cats have either multiplied or more cats have been adopted but their community has increased to an uncomfortable extent. It looks as if it’s raining cats. They are all over the place.
When allowed to roam, cats can create a real nuisance in neighbours’ premises by leaving foul-smelling urine and feaces behind. More serious are the property damages caused by clawing and scratching. The residents share that these cats enter their house from every possible entry, eat up the food lying in the kitchen or dining area, jump on the beds, scratch the upholstery of furniture and scatter the artefacts and other things.
Then there is this problem of cat poop. They litter whenever and wherever they wish. The residents sometimes face a harrowing time trying to locate the source of the foul smell that plagues their houses. Another resident said that her expensive turf is found soiled every day since the cats find it their favourite spot for their backend operations. It is difficult to clean the poop from the turf and the house help and sweepers refuse to do it daily. “While loving / feeding animals is a personal choice, the moment these animals become dangerous for others, the matter is no more personal. All residents would be well advised to restrict the animal love-orientated activities including feeding them to the perimeter of their homes. Several courts have taken cognizance of similar events and have given rulings in this direction”, says another resident.
A sound sleep is a luxury of the past because the cats can jump on you if they spot anything interesting on the other side of the bed and you happen to be a hurdle in their path. Most residents in C Block have stopped using their balconies and terraces as these have now become the territory of the cats.
Agreed that these feline creatures are creating ruckus but at the end of the day, they are animals – not blessed with as sensitive or intelligent a mind as humans are. We may look at the humane way of dealing with the problem.
To keep the cats away from the houses one has to make sure that there are no food sources available in the house. Cats love warm dark places where they can hide. Block access to entry holes. To keep cats away fragrances that don’t appeal to cats’ sense of smell can be used. Cats do not like the smell of citrus sprays, coffee beans or even vinegar. But most importantly they need to be neutered. We see how small dog puppies get run over by vehicles during the breeding season. We do not want their excessive number running here and there and getting run over by vehicles, so getting them neutered is the best solution.
