IN A first, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would sterilise stray cats under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme once it appoints an agency for the task. Advertising Taking note of the rising population of stray cats, in June, the civic body asked for permission from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to include stray cats in the ABC programme under which dogs are sterilised too. The AWBI has now granted permission to the BMC for which the civic body has invited an expression of interest (EOI) to appoint an agency that will sterilise stray cats. While the BMC has sterilised dogs under the ABC programme for years now, it is likely to start sterilising cats by April 1. However, there is no data available on the number of stray cats in the city. While the BMC conducts a dog census every five years, it has not yet conducted a feline census. Advertising As of now, some private clinics and NGOs sterilise cats in the city. The BMC has made a provision of Rs 1 crore for the project and is going to spend Rs 600 per male cat and Rs 800 per female cat on sterilisation. The agency is likely to get municipal land and all bills will be footed by the civic body. However, in case the agency uses its own facilities for the sterilisation, the civic body will pay Rs 800 per male and Rs 1,000 per female. While rules for cat sterilisation are yet to be framed under the ABC programme, the agency will follow guidelines for dog sterilisation by deworming, sterilising and giving the cats an anti-rabies vaccine. Dr Yogesh Shetye, project supervisor, told the Indian Express, “The state government’s animal husbandry department is conducting an animal census which is expected to be completed in the next two months. We will get some data from them about stray cats in the city. Also, if required, we can appoint an agency to conduct a feline census on the lines of the dog census. There is no provision in the ABC programme for cat sterilisation, but we can now go ahead with the project because we have permission from the AWBI.” He added that after an agency was appointed, it will begin with random sterilisation. “Cats can breed two to three times a year and give birth to at least four to five kittens. This has led to an alarming rise in the number of strays. Cat bites can cause rabies too, so their population should be curbed,” said Dr Shetye. Civic body officials said residents and corporators as well as activists were demanding cat sterilisation because their population was on the rise. “With this EOI, we are hopeful that NGOs or government institutions and agencies that have expertise in animal sterilisation will take part,” added an official. Last year, Shiv Sena corporator Anil Patankar was the first to move a notice of motion in the House, demanding sterilisation of stray cats. In September 2018, the BMC told Patankar that they were in the process of getting required permissions to go ahead with the project.

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