Managing And Safeguarding The Environment For Our Community Animals

This is Heidi’s latest favourite tray.

It’s a tray from Ming-Yi’s car when it came back from Sabah and on it, is a piece of old curtain.�Nothing much to shout about, but for a cat, it’s total bliss.

A tray with an old curtain on a shoe rack – what bliss!

For me, I’m just so glad Heidi has this tray. At least it will keep her away from going out to look for a comfortable place to nap in.

This is Rosie’s latest favourite spot – behind the pot at the other shoe rack.

When it gets too hot, Heidi comes out and stretch on the shoe rack.

Again, I’m glad she doesn’t see the need to go out to the road, but sometimes, she still does. She loves the playground and we’ve noticed she likes to watch the birds.

Unless an animal is confined or is too afraid to venture out, the animal is most likely to venture nearby. It’s their natural instinct to be curious, especially cats.

Lately, there had been speedsters along my road. Some are outsiders and some could very well be residents too. I’ve proposed building a speed-breaker hump and volunteered it in front of my house too, but my proposal has been shot down by some residents who find humps an inconvenience to them or they deem it an ineffective measure to curb speeding. I reasoned that animals have been killed on the road (the musang in November 2013 and sometimes, the tree shrews or even cats on other roads, I’m told) but such reasoning falls on deaf ears to those who may not be sympathetic to the smaller creatures who live amongst us. There is even a kindergarten nearby and domestic helpers walk children to and from school. Still, the residents who object….object.

Now, I’ve written in to the authorities to ask for the procedures involved if I wish to apply for a signage to be put up to request drivers to slow down as this is a housing area. I was thinking of something like “Ini kawasan perumahan. Sila pandu perlahan-lahan. Kerjasama anda amat dihargai.” And yes, speedsters might not take heed of such a request, but something is better than nothing, isn’t it? It might make a small difference, who knows? Let’s see what the authorities say. I hope the residents will not object to a signage being put up.

Street animals are up against much risks, but how many can we adopt? The next best option is to try and make the environment as safe as possible for them and that’s what I would like to do. Objections will come from all quarters, especially those who do not fathom a need to take care of the animals’ safety. And there are many of such humans…unfortunately. Two neighbours have objected to us feeding the animals at the culvert and the playground.

If you live in an animal-friendly neighbourhood, be grateful and thank your lucky stars.

It’s dinner time now and everyone is here except Ginger. Rosie is outside in the porch, but Ginger has probably gone to his rooftop den to sleep and he always oversleeps.

Mr Zurik will somehow appear at meal times. I don’t have to worry about him. It’s Ginger I need to look for.

Ginger soon came back with his mum accompanying him. He has his late dinner in the kitchen.

We provide a safe place for the 7 PatioCats and can only hope they will stay in our house compound and not go out.

There is so much space in our compound. We have two cages and lots of cardboard boxes from the porch to the patio. I’m thinking of getting some wooden shelves installed too if we can get a carpenter to do it. All done so that they will stay within our compound.

I cannot possibly introduce any of the PatioCats into Bunny’s Place. They won’t be able to survive the titans. They wouldn’t be happy too. Daffodil has lived in this neighbourhood for more than 13 years. This is her home and also that of Ginger and Rosie. They were born here. Timmy still visits the tardis (to receive messages from his “mothership”!). Vincent and Rosie have friends down the road. Mr Zurik comes from up the road (from this KGB training centre, manned by the tree shrews!). Heidi watches birds at the playground.

This is their home. And I’m glad that all of them come into our house often enough. Hopefully in time to come, they will see no further need of going out.

Meanwhile, I hope at least a “Sila pandu perlahan-lahan” signage can be put up on my road.

Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2014/06/02/managing-and-safeguarding..

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AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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