Catfood donation: Our latest Food Fund recipient: Norshahadah bt Rusli, from Skudai, Johor

Norshahadah bt Rusli is an individual caregiver of the community cats who live in the vicinity of her food stall. She wrote to us to apply for neutering subsidy for the cats since her previous fund provider has temporarily frozen their funds. We have provided our neutering subsidy for 3 of her cats so far.

Norshah also wrote to ask if we know of any supplier in Johor who could give a cheaper offer for catfood as she is feeding about 18 cats in all and she does not earn much working at the food stall. We do not know of any supplier, especially when her purchase is only about 2 packs per month, so instead, we offered to help her with our Food Fund.

Our friends in Johor have visited Norshah’s food stall and they saw many cats around area. According to them, the cats appear to be very well fed. What’s most important is that Norshah does the needful, ie. she gets the cats neutered. This our main criterion for applicants who wish to apply for our food subsidy. Below are some of our correspondence with Norshah, to understand her needs better:

From: Norshah Adah
Date: 2013/4/4
Subject: neutering subsidy.
To: chankahyein@gmail.com

hi.. saya norshahadah bt rusli dari johor bharu.. saya tolong mak saya berniaga di gerai makan..

di sini memang selalu ada sahaja orang luar suka membuang kucing-kucing, kittens and adults.. saya setiap hari mesti bagi makan kucing-kucing ini makan..

setakat ini saya dah mandulkan 8 ekor kucing di gerai ini dengan menggunakan sebahagian subsidi yang diberikan oleh KTAJ [S.C.R.A.T.C.H] dan di campur dengan duit saya sendiri. tetapi baru-baru ini KTAJ sudah tidak memberikan lagi subsidi atau sudah stop.

Dan saya baru sahaja terjumpa subsidi yang ditawarkan oleh Animal Care ini, dan saya baru sahaja selamat memandulkan seekor lagi kucing betina yang saya selamatkan dari gerai makan mak saya yang dibuang ketika masih kitten lagi, dan sekarang mungkin umurnya 6 bulan lebih, saya sudah mandulkan ia pada 3.4.2013. Dan keadaan kucing okay cuma masih makan sikit-sikit lagi. Dengan ini saya ingin memohon memohon subsidi dari pihak anda.bolehkah?

Dengan ini saya serta kan gambar kucing tersebut sebelum dan selepas pemandulan..

Terima kasih.

The number neutered now stands at 10 (three are subsidised by us).

Further details about the medical care given and food needed:

From: Norshah Adah
Date: 2013/4/18
Subject: Re: food subsidy
To: Chan Kah Yein <chankahyein@gmail.com>

hi,
di sini saya sertakan borang applicant info, gambar-gambar kucing dan butiran untuk permohonan subsidi.

setakat ini saya sudah mandulkan 10 ekor kucing dan akan teruskan untuk mandulkan kucing yg belum dimandulkan jika keadaan mengizinkan.

adakah permohonan saya diluluskan? saya ingin tahu, jika saya membeli makanan yg jumlahnya rm300 berapakah subsidi yg diberikan?

terima kasih.

From: Norshah Adah
Date: 2013/4/18
Subject: Re: food subsidy
To: Chan Kah Yein <chankahyein@gmail.com>

soalan 1. dulu saya ada juga hantar kucing yg sakit ke klinik, tetapi sekarang tidak sebab jika ada kucing yg sakit mata, saya rawat sendiri dgn mengunakan ubat yg dibeli dari vet, dan saya pun ada sediakan ubat luka untuk kucing yg dibeli dari petshop. dan kebanyakan kucing di gerai saya ini sakit sebab dilanggar dan akan mati terus akibat dilanggar.

soalan 2 dan 3 .saya biasa beli brand “star pro” yg beratnya 18.14kg yg harganya rm155, tetapi biasanya akan habis dalam masa 18-20 hari sahaja dan tidak mencukupi 1 bulan, ini bermakna dalam satu bulan saya kena beli 2 pack 18.14kg yg berharga rm155 dan jumlahnya rm310 saya kena belanja untuk makanan kucing. itu sahaja.

We have pledged to sponsor RM310 worth of catfood for Norshah’s community cats this month (upon receiving her form and receipt) and for subsequent months, it would be dependent on fund availability and updates from her.

We do not and cannot pledge long-term help as our funds are dependent on donations from well-wishers.

Here are some photos sent by Norshah:

Norshah’s community cats

 Keep up the great work, Norshah!

We cannot adopt all the community animals into our homes (though we wish we could), we don’t have the resources to set up a shelter for them nor can we confidently find good and safe homes for all of them. When we cannot do as much as we wish we could, then we do the next best: Provide food, medical care and get them neutered (which is what I’m providing for Rosie and the Patio Family, and what Norshah is doing for these 18 cats too!). Then, return them to their colony (provided it is safe enough), continue looking after them and wish them well.

If I may digress a bit, previously in my old neighbourhood, Bunny & Friends were free roaming. After several unfortunate mishaps, I used to live with the fear of our cats getting injured on the road. That is a possibility once any animal is free roaming. When we moved here, I was so glad to be finally rid of this fear because we built Bunny’s Place and all our cats were then confined. But now, with Rosie and Family as community cats, this fear is there again. I guess as caregivers of community animals, that fear will always be there. How many times have I heard a strange noise outside on the road, and quickly gone out to check if there has been any mishap. Or, when one of them do not come for meals, you fear the worst has happened and when they do appear, you quickly say a prayer of thanks that all is well. That is the compromise we make when we cannot adopt them into our homes. That’s life. We can only do our best and that would have to be good enough.

But having said all this, which is the happier cat? The one who is confined inside safe boundaries or the one who is free-roaming? Well, we’ll have to ask the cat and every cat will have his/her own story to tell!