Cat feces still on roads, request facility handover: Council

Mayor of Male' Adam Azim has said that while there is a facility in Hulhumale' specifically made to look after cats in Male's streets, public complaints of cats and cat feces on the roads have increased, with Male' City Council having requested twice that the facility be handed over to them.

During today's Male' City Council meeting, North Galolhu Councilor Saif Fathih expressed concern over the difficulties faced by the public regarding the increase of cats on Male' streets. He stated that there are heaps of cat stool on the roads, with no one to be responsible for the cleaning and overseeing of said stools and it causing difficulties to the general public.

While speaking on the matter, Azim said that they have requested the government to hand over the facility to the council as they would be able to manage it better. However, he said that the handover has not happened as of yet.

The practical work in building a cat facility in Hulhumale's Farukolhufushi by the Male' City Council and the Animal Welfare Ministry began in March 2024. The facility was inaugurated by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu in November 2024.

Initially, it was the council that was supposed to operate the Olhu Hiyaa (cat shelter), which was built via Male' City Council's budget. However, the Cabinet had decided to change the operation of the shelter under the Animal Welfare Ministry, with Male' City Council having been informed of this in December 2024 and is now under the ministry's purview.

During the council meeting, Saif stated that they have received many complaints regarding cat stool in some Male' regions, with concerns that the areas were not being cleaned unless it was brought to the attention of the council.

As per Saif, it has become necessary for the city council to become responsible for picking up cat stool from the streets, with this change to be reflected in the council's regulations.

"It is being unattended to as if someone would pick them up, surely those who are living in these areas would not pick them up. I do not think that those living in said areas would come out to clean up the streets. There is a reason no one picks up the cat stools. There is no one to pick them up when it is just left there," said Saif.

"If the streets are not being cleaned up by the city council, no one would take on that responsibility. WAMCO will not pick them up. The city council does not pick them up either. So they are waiting to see who is left to do this."

Even though a cat facility was made at a major expense, Saif said that the issue of cats still has not seen any solution.

Saif said that the shelter only has 30 cats and shared his concern that MVR 30 million was being spent on those cats with the rest of the expenses not being utilized to take cats off the streets.

"Where is the solution to the cat problem posed by Male' residents. There is none. The streets of Male' are overflowing with cats. While I speak on the matter, the facility still is not at the ready. Male's streets are ready for cats to leave their stools behind," said Saif.

He went on to say that while no other work was done when MVR 30 million was spent to start operating the shelter, the issue being faced by Male' residents due to cats on the streets still has not been solved.

As per Azim, the solution to this is to hand the facility over to the council if the government cannot operate it.

"We have made the facility in order to accommodate all the cats in the Male' area. No excuse can be given where cats can freely leave stools behind in Male'. Not the government nor the responsible party. The council has submitted a letter requesting the shelter be handed over to us if they cannot operate it," said Azim.

Azim highlighted that the facility was handed over to those who had voiced on social media and other platforms that the cats were being abused and they were leaving stools behind, with him stating that it was also handed over with little responsibility.

Azim went on to say that the facility not tending to its responsibilities and posting cat stools seen in various parts of Male' on social media is an act that shows a lack of responsibility, with the government needing to take steps against them.

Azim also said that once the facility had opened, it had been made ready to accommodate the cats on the streets of Male', which should have resulted in a vast decrease of said cats.

The Agriculture and Animal Welfare Minister Dr. Mariyam Mariya has said in the past that it would cost MVR 10.8 million a year just to operate the shelter. The minister said that if 2,000 cats were brought to the facility, it would cost MVR 400,000 per month, with an expenditure of MVR 3.4 million every three months.

The council had estimated at the time that around 3,000 cats may be roaming the streets of Male'. Nevertheless, only 30 cats have been taken to the shelter as of yet.