Irresponsible Pet Owners Might be Abandoning Their Cats at TTDI Market

By Charmaine Shaharin  •  03 Jul 2020 in News

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Market areas have always been prime dumping grounds for irresponsible pet owners, and right now, the TTDI market area has seen an increase in stray cats.  

According to an animal activist account on Instagram (@tnvr_onelifeatatime) that specialises in the TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) of stray cats, the number of abandoned cats at the TTDI market area has gone up. Ai Ling, the owner of the account, reported that new cats have been showing up at the market. 

That being said, one of the two new cats, as seen in the video below, has a severe case of Mange on his ears and most likely a fungal issue too. Ai Ling believes that the cat might have had a home but was abandoned by his owner due to his skin issues.

 

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Went to the TTDI market today to feed the strays and saw 2 new cats at my regular feeding spot, in addition to a few of my regulars. @pawgwarts_kl and I have been TNVR-ing the strays around the market since April 2019 and we keep seeing new cats there, which means it’s most likely that cats are being dumped there since markets are prime dumping ground. STOP DUMPING YOUR PETS! This is one of the 2 new cats I came across today. He’s got severe mange on his ears and he most likely has a fungal issue as well. Dr Tan says he could be Bengal mix, given his unique markings and face shape. And as you can see from the 2nd and 3rd videos, he’s super affectionate. Both these reasons lead me to strongly suspect he’s been dumped by an owner who doesn’t want to deal with his skin issues. What can you do if you come across a stray cat in this condition? Mange is a completely treatable condition so first thing is to get the cat to the vet for a checkup and the vet will advise on the proper treatment. This boy will be getting spot-on treatment and started on oral anti-fungals as well. When he’s better, he will be neutered and vaccinated, and I’ll likely put him up for adoption. ANYONE can step up to help an animal in need. A lot of times, it requires straightforward medical treatment and some recuperation time. Again, STOP DUMPING YOUR PETS. SPAY/NEUTER your pets if you don’t wish to deal with kittens or puppies. Barring any other underlying health issues, I’m hopeful that Shiitake (yup, he’s named after a mushroom) will make a full recovery. #TrapNeuterReturn #TrapNeuterVaccinateReturn #tnrworks #tnrsaveslives #HumaneStrayPopulationControl #EarTipped #ColonyCats #ItTakesAVillage #BeTheChange #AdoptDontShop #LoveNeedsNoPedigree #RescueIsTheBestBreed #kucingmalaysia #catsofmalaysia #malaysiancats #catsforadoption #doingourpart #wecanmakeadifference #caringforcommunitycats #feedthestrays #bekindtoanimals

A post shared by TNVR One Life At A Time (@tnvr_onelifeatatime) on Jun 28, 2020 at 5:42am PDT

At the same time, Ai Ling who has been doing TNVR work since 2002 on a small scale, has created a campaign to improve her TNVR work in order to control the stray population. She targets to raise at least RM5,000 which will be solely used to cover the medical fees of the stray cats.

Although TNVR might come off as pricey – a private clinic might charge RM250 for a female cat and RM130 to neuter a male cat – it is an effective method at not just controlling the stray population but also to ensure that the strays are given a chance to survive.

If you’re an individual who has a busy lifestyle or if you’re someone who is keeping a pet for the first time, it’s best to research and educate yourself before purchasing one, and not abandoning them when the going gets tough.

To help the cats, check out tnvr_onelifeatatime’s Instagram here.

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