JUST a few quick scrolls on any social media platform and there’s something you’ll come across with millions of followers – cats. Nala, Sister Minnie, Princess Honeybelle… people from every part of the world have made their pets popular on the internet, with their cat videos showcasing the quirky characteristics and behavior of their felines, who help their owners earn millions. It is all thought to have started with Grumpy Cat, popular for the perpetual grouchy expression on his face. Years later, it is common knowledge that cats are the rulers of the internet. Cat videos are estimated to drive 15% of all internet traffic and each social media platform has millions of posts with the hashtags #cat.
The reasons that cat videos are so popular include their ability to evoke positive emotions, reduce stress and give people a momentary chuckle. But as it happens, the internet is never a clear reflection of the real world.
Street cats face a harsh and cruel world
On the streets roam 91 lakh streets cats across India. These felines, both domestic and wild, should be in their natural habitat where they establish their territories and either live solitary lives or become a part of social structures with other cats. It is estimated that almost 70% of all cats and other animals in India are homeless and on the streets, some of them having been abandoned. But in the harsh environment of our streets, cats lack safe and clean shelter and a source of food and water. This exposes them to infections and diseases and shortens their lifespan. On the streets, they constantly dodge oncoming vehicles such as bikes and cars and many, especially kittens, are unaware of the dangers of vehicles and how to adapt to survival on the streets.
Then, there is deliberate abuse at the hands of humans. Beating, kicking, burning, stabbing or suffocating are some of the forms of torture inflicted upon innocent street cats, some of whom are too young or unaware of human behavior to anticipate abuse. To add further depravity to the crime of animal abuse, these attackers are known to film the abuse on the phone, share it with others and even post it on social media. Because of this needless yet frequent torture, these innocent animals suffer from severe injuries, broken bones, blindness, disabilities and even extreme suffering to the point of death. Toward the end of their lives, they are alone, afraid and have no one to help or comfort them. Theirs is truly a life marked by needless misery and abuse.
But India Animal Foundation and People For Animals Uttarakhand are on a mission to rescue abused and abandoned street cats from their miserable lives on the streets and give them safe shelter, medical care, nutritious food and affection to rehabilitate them to good health. But there are cats that have been abused beyond the point of rehabilitation. These animals will spend their lives with People For Animals Uttarakhand and be cared for with love and affection. In this short video, Priyanka Bangari, the Managing Director of People For Animals Uttarakhand, describes the horrific torture that street cats in India are forced to endure without a single person to help or care for them:
People For Animals Uttarakhand’s mission to rescue abused cats
Priyanka Bangari is the Managing Director of People For Animals Uttarakhand and she shares cases of abuse on cats in which “people beat kittens with sticks, stuff cats in plastic bags then suck the air out of them with vacuum cleaners, hot oil or boiling water is poured on them and often cats are deliberately crushed under car tires where they may be sleeping” – and all this torture is needless and a result of sheer intent to cause harm which is a criminal act according to The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
Cats suffer from tumors, cancer, blindness, breathing difficulties, maggot wounds… every second of their lives becomes painful.
Homeless cats need the support of cat lovers everywhere
While cats are the most famous stars on the internet, the experience of street cats is exactly the opposite. All it takes is cat lovers and all those who want to eradicate animal abuse to reach out and do their part to prevent the abuse of street cats and rescue cats in extreme distress and ensure they are safe, treated, fed and taken care of for the rest of their lives. Your financial support for this campaign will not just rescue and care for these homeless and abused felines but will also enable People For Animals Uttarakhand to:
- establish animal helplines for people to report cases (via call and text) of distressed animals
- provide compassion-based education for 8 to 12-year-olds in schools to foster long term societal empathy towards animals
- activate chapters of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in various districts, collaborating with government authorities to improve animal welfare
Priyanka shares that “more support can help our rescued cats and also save the lives of more cats who are still waiting to be rescued. Help us give these innocent cats the chance at a decent life.
Support abused and tortured street cats
People For Animals Uttarakhand has helped thousands of cats and now has 80 cats in their care where they live a safe, peaceful and good life. But with the increasing cases of animal abuse and animal abandonment across India, there is an even greater need to rescue more cats from the streets and bring them to a place of safety. To support People For Animals Uttarakhand who need your help:
Help poor street cats in India
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Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.
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