'E-meow-gency': Pulau Tioman being overrun by cats

ROMPIN: Cats were originally reared in Pulau Tioman as domestic pets before their population on the popular island grew over the years as visitors often feed them leftovers.

Now, there are hundreds of cats and kittens running loose on the island, raising concerns that the human population will be soon overrun by the alarming number of cats.

Fearing the number of cats could soon get out of hand, the state Veterinary Services Department recently conducted an extensive neutering and spaying exercise at six villages to help control the population.

Villager Abdul Kadir Harun from Kampung Salang, Tioman said the number of stray cats roaming Pulau Tioman has increased as their breeding went unchecked as the focus was always on the water monitor lizards.

"The water monitor lizard population was once expanding rapidly before the Wildlife and National Parks Department captured and released them elsewhere two years ago. The authorities had conducted the neutering exercise on the cats several years ago but nothing has changed.

There could be hundreds or maybe thousands of cats on the island surviving on leftover food from the restaurants, and sometimes guest will also feed those roaming outside their chalets. The animals do not pose any threat...just that there seem to be too many around," said the 78-year-old former village headman.

Meanwhile, Kampung Tekek village headman Zulkarnaini A. Hamid said there is nothing the villagers could do to keep the feline population in check as some might have been abandoned by their owners.

"The cats cannot go elsewhere and they are left to only roam around the island for food. Tourists, especially cat lovers, seem to enjoy their presence and the absence of natural predators has also allowed the cats to move around freely," he said, adding the recent neutering-and-spaying service should be conducted regularly.

Meanwhile, State Veterinary Services Department director Datuk Dr Norlizan Mohd Noor said more than 200 cats were neutered and spayed during the two-day programme, which was held at six locations - Kampung Tekek, Air Batang, Salang, Mukut, Juara and Berjaya Resort - on the island.

He said the team of 35 staff had trapped the cats, neutered and spayed them through minor surgeries before releasing them.

"The exercise is to help control the cat population on the island which could ruin the island's image as a famous tourist destination. Although it costs between RM60 and RM100 for each cat, such sterilisation methods are the most effective way to control the population.

The department had previously conducted a similar exercise on the island but the stray population continued to grow due to various factors including the villagers continuing to rear cats," he said.

He added that based on the department's observation, there were around 300 cats on the island and the numbers will grow rapidly if such exercises are not conducted on a bigger scale.

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