Jakarta 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 did 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 cats 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.

Neutering costs at least Rp 350,000 for a male cat and about Rp 400,000 for a female cat, she said.

“If I don’t have any sponsors, I put the project on hold," she says, and resumes the project once she has raised enough money.

Isnaini said she had helped neuter at least 26 stray cats to date.

She added that she would like to see the city administration partner with community groups and animal welfare organizations to manage the stray cat population. Even though Jakarta runs a free sterilization and rabies vaccination program, it does not cover some areas — or strays.

Isnaini also has a general request for people who might not like strays: "Please don’t hurt them.”

East Jakarta resident Hesyivha Nabila Giovani also prefers taking in strays or pets rather than buying animals from the pet store, even if it means she ends up with more animals to care for. 

Nabila is currently caring for two cats that a friend gave her, and  another two that are rescue cats.

“I have no intention of buying [a cat]. I think there are more cats out there that need help. Buying [cats] is also a waste of money that I could use to buy food for strays,” she said.

Nabila said she had rescued three cats. The first, which was found stuck on the roof of a friend’s house, could not walk properly on its hind legs. The second stray was found with an injured left foreleg.

The third rescue cat, which she named Blacky, was adopted after she helped provide treatment for an injured eye.

“A lot of people pitched in for their initial operations,” said Nabila, who also used Instagram to ask for donations to help the strays.

However, she spends up to Rp 500,000 of her own money each month on street feeding.

She said she wished that the Jakarta administration would provide better management of the stray cat population by improving the facilities at the city-owned Jakarta Animal Hospital (RSHJ) in Ragunan, South Jakarta.

Nabila also has the same message as Isnaini for fellow Jakartans: "Even if you don’t like them [stray cats], please don’t hurt them. Shoo them away without using violence.”

Francine Eustacia and Batara Bonar Siagian also care for 12 rescued stray cats at home and occasionally feed strays.

However, the couple became involved in a recent dispute with the RSHJ, which they allege had not provided proper treatment to two stray cats they had rescued.

The couple's rescue cat named Hitam, which they found near the hospital, was admitted for treatment at the RSHJ from May 28 to June 15. However, they claim that the hospital was not transparent about informing them of the cat's condition, as Hitam developed an eye infection while he was at the hospital.

“Until now, we have yet to receive any explanation from the hospital as to why they didn’t inform us about the change in the color of Hitam’s eye,” said Francine.

The couple also alleged that the hospital denied treatment to another rescued stray named Soma on June 26, even though the cat was in critical condition. 

The couple has reported the incident to the National Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN) for mediation.

The Post has contacted the RSHJ for comment.

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