On the Right Track to Managing Stray Animals in Oman
Published: 02:01 PM,Jan 16,2025 | EDITED : 03:01 PM,Jan 19,2025
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The matter of Oman’s stray cats and dogs and how best to manage their number, health, and well-being is complex and challenging to resolve. People feel the plight of these urban vagrants, but while their populations are constantly increasing, it feels like a never-ending, uphill battle. But hope is in the air and with some effort citizens can greatly improve the living conditions of cats and dogs in the community, giving them a more sustainable life in harmony with humans.
Why are there so many strays in the first place?
There are the local cats that reproduce as most are not neutered, but additionally,y some people buy kittens/ puppies for their children, then later dump the animal on the street, and these then add to the forever increasing population of strays. Pets are not toys, and long-haired breeds suffer outside with the heat.
Discussing the issue with Dr. Elke Heitz of Al Qurum Veterinary Clinic in MSQ, she advised certain strategies can be put in place, beginning with neighbourhood volunteers - and finishing, it is hoped, at the Municipality level.
What could residents feed cat colonies near their local bins?
“Anything is better than nothing”. Meat, chicken, or fish-based kitchen scraps could be given - cats will not eat what they don’t like! Dry and wet cat food from stores would be good if people can afford it. For small kittens, dry adult food may be hard to chew, so they will appreciate soft food, chicken and wet cat food.
Most important, especially in hot weather, is providing clean (tap) water regularly, occasionally cleaning and refreshing the bowl. Large water bottles could be cut to create a container, weighted with a stone and kept near the feeding site. When people do feed strays, they should be sure to clean up afterwards. Environmental awareness requires disposal of empty containers after animals have eaten.
Ideally, Dr Elke says, cat feeding stations could be coordinated by volunteer groups in every street - already in place in many areas informally - and then, following a Turkish system, be approved by the municipality, giving them some official status and recognition. Volunteers could collaborate through WhatsApp groups or specially designed Apps to ensure when and who is feeding and clearing up the stations.
Hotels and restaurants could be encouraged to donate food waste, cutting costs for volunteers and making a more ecologically friendly disposal system.
Since the Covid epidemic, adoption rate for strays dropped worldwide by up to 40%, leaving yet more strays on the streets to fend for themselves. There have been fewer volunteers in everything, not just for animals, so fewer neutering programmes are effective and rates of kitten and puppy procreation increase exponentially.
Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) is a widespread method of humanely preventing births in adult cats and dogs by catching strays, bringing them to a reputable vet for a simple operation and returning them to their territory (where possible and appropriate) to live out their lives in better health.
Members of the public can bring strays into the Clinic to be spayed and neutered. Costs are around 27omr for females and 17omr for males, including a 7-day antibiotic plus VAT. The Clinic has partnered with ‘Hills’ and ‘Royal Canine’ products for sponsorship to fund prebooked TNR appointments, twice a year.
One scheme, set up by charitable organisation, “Tiger by the Tail” in participation with the Capital Veterinary Centre in Qurum, gives people a further reduction of 9omr to costs, within certain conditions and requirements.
How can strays be caught when they are timid or aggressive?
Firstly, animals will get used to individuals who feed them regularly and gradually build up trust. Some cats may begin to come close so the next stage becomes easier.
There are several ways to catch – and the key is usually food! Some tasty morsel inside a normal cat box will tempt them in, then close the door behind them quickly without fuss. A toy with catnip or meat could be pulled from behind with a piece of string – each day getting closer and closer until the animal is tame enough to go in - then shut the door. In difficult cases, a cat trap can be borrowed from the vet for a returnable deposit. However, these should not be left unattended for the sake of the animals’ welfare and safety.
People sometimes overreact to cat scratches or bites, but in reality there is little to be concerned about. Scratches rarely get inflamed and bites, if drawing blood, should be allowed to bleed then cleaned in the normal way. Antibiotics are rarely needed, and then only if infected.
Muscat Municipality has now established ‘RIFQ Centres’ in Muscat with full support programmes to provide TNR for dogs in the community. The aim is to deal with the growing number of stray or Wadi dogs in the capital in a humane, sustainable way. They respond to public complaints of stray dogs on Tel. 1111, and have trained dog catchers, a response van and Veterinary surgery to operate on those brought in. It is hoped that a similar programme for cats will be introduced within the next 12 months, though the centre is still in its infancy.
Policies in Belgium and UK involve chipping all pets. Smart traps too would be able to read an animal’s chip for identification, and thus return them to their registered owner or proceed with neutering as appropriate.
These are for the future, but for now give a sense of hope to the volunteers who care for animals in the community. As Charlie Chaplin was quoted, ‘when you feed cats, you feed your soul’.
Why are there so many strays in the first place?
There are the local cats that reproduce as most are not neutered, but additionally,y some people buy kittens/ puppies for their children, then later dump the animal on the street, and these then add to the forever increasing population of strays. Pets are not toys, and long-haired breeds suffer outside with the heat.
Discussing the issue with Dr. Elke Heitz of Al Qurum Veterinary Clinic in MSQ, she advised certain strategies can be put in place, beginning with neighbourhood volunteers - and finishing, it is hoped, at the Municipality level.
What could residents feed cat colonies near their local bins?
“Anything is better than nothing”. Meat, chicken, or fish-based kitchen scraps could be given - cats will not eat what they don’t like! Dry and wet cat food from stores would be good if people can afford it. For small kittens, dry adult food may be hard to chew, so they will appreciate soft food, chicken and wet cat food.
Most important, especially in hot weather, is providing clean (tap) water regularly, occasionally cleaning and refreshing the bowl. Large water bottles could be cut to create a container, weighted with a stone and kept near the feeding site. When people do feed strays, they should be sure to clean up afterwards. Environmental awareness requires disposal of empty containers after animals have eaten.
Ideally, Dr Elke says, cat feeding stations could be coordinated by volunteer groups in every street - already in place in many areas informally - and then, following a Turkish system, be approved by the municipality, giving them some official status and recognition. Volunteers could collaborate through WhatsApp groups or specially designed Apps to ensure when and who is feeding and clearing up the stations.
Hotels and restaurants could be encouraged to donate food waste, cutting costs for volunteers and making a more ecologically friendly disposal system.
Since the Covid epidemic, adoption rate for strays dropped worldwide by up to 40%, leaving yet more strays on the streets to fend for themselves. There have been fewer volunteers in everything, not just for animals, so fewer neutering programmes are effective and rates of kitten and puppy procreation increase exponentially.
Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) is a widespread method of humanely preventing births in adult cats and dogs by catching strays, bringing them to a reputable vet for a simple operation and returning them to their territory (where possible and appropriate) to live out their lives in better health.
Members of the public can bring strays into the Clinic to be spayed and neutered. Costs are around 27omr for females and 17omr for males, including a 7-day antibiotic plus VAT. The Clinic has partnered with ‘Hills’ and ‘Royal Canine’ products for sponsorship to fund prebooked TNR appointments, twice a year.
One scheme, set up by charitable organisation, “Tiger by the Tail” in participation with the Capital Veterinary Centre in Qurum, gives people a further reduction of 9omr to costs, within certain conditions and requirements.
How can strays be caught when they are timid or aggressive?
Firstly, animals will get used to individuals who feed them regularly and gradually build up trust. Some cats may begin to come close so the next stage becomes easier.
There are several ways to catch – and the key is usually food! Some tasty morsel inside a normal cat box will tempt them in, then close the door behind them quickly without fuss. A toy with catnip or meat could be pulled from behind with a piece of string – each day getting closer and closer until the animal is tame enough to go in - then shut the door. In difficult cases, a cat trap can be borrowed from the vet for a returnable deposit. However, these should not be left unattended for the sake of the animals’ welfare and safety.
People sometimes overreact to cat scratches or bites, but in reality there is little to be concerned about. Scratches rarely get inflamed and bites, if drawing blood, should be allowed to bleed then cleaned in the normal way. Antibiotics are rarely needed, and then only if infected.
Muscat Municipality has now established ‘RIFQ Centres’ in Muscat with full support programmes to provide TNR for dogs in the community. The aim is to deal with the growing number of stray or Wadi dogs in the capital in a humane, sustainable way. They respond to public complaints of stray dogs on Tel. 1111, and have trained dog catchers, a response van and Veterinary surgery to operate on those brought in. It is hoped that a similar programme for cats will be introduced within the next 12 months, though the centre is still in its infancy.
Policies in Belgium and UK involve chipping all pets. Smart traps too would be able to read an animal’s chip for identification, and thus return them to their registered owner or proceed with neutering as appropriate.
These are for the future, but for now give a sense of hope to the volunteers who care for animals in the community. As Charlie Chaplin was quoted, ‘when you feed cats, you feed your soul’.