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Jakarta's cat lovers go the extra mile to care for strays
Stray cats are a common sight in Jakarta, where some residents have taken it upon themselves to feed them, neuter them or rescue them.
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A woman gives food to stray cats in a practice known as "street feeding". (Courtesy of Isnaini Solikhah) (Isnaini Solikhah/Isnaini Solikhah)
J
akarta is home to millions of people, and is quite likely also home to millions of stray cats, whether they were bred and born in the streets or abandoned by their former owners. While some strays continue to roam the city, some get lucky and meet cat-loving Jakartans who give them food or take them off the streets and give them proper homes.
Isnaini Solikhah, who lives in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, cares for 19 cats at home: 10 were already pets, and she rescued the other 9 as strays.
Isnaini said that she does not buy cats from pet stores. “There are cats on the street that need help and affection, especially if they are victims of abuse by irresponsible people,” she told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Isnaini tried to put several cat up for adoption, but few people were interested in local cat breeds. Eventually, the strays became attached to her, so she decided to keep caring for them.
Aside from caring for her own pets, Isnaini regularly distributes food to strays on the street – a practice called "street feeding" – and she also runs her own trap-neuter-release (TNR) program to help control the stray cat population.
“I sometimes come across [stray cats] on my commute, but most often at 'feeding spots' where a colony of cats usually hang around,” she said.
Taking care of strays can be costly, and Isnaini spends around Rp 1 million (US$70) a month on their food. To cover the cost of neutering strays, she collects donations through her personal Instagram account, where people can sponsor stray cats for neutering.
