A property manager plans to install feeding stations for stray cats across its communities in Abu Dhabi.
Provis is building five "houses" with food and water for stray cats living around The Arc at Gate Towers on Reem Island, after a trial over several weeks.
Residents said they were pleased with the decision and hoped it would end the repeated removal of their own food bowls at the site.
“This will help tremendously. There is no worry about bowls going missing,” said Aisha Hussain, a teacher from the UK, who regularly feeds the colony of about 23 cats.
“The gardeners used to remove them because obviously they weren’t allowed. Then you would have to have these awkward discussions with security.”
The new stations, spread across three locations, will provide a permanent place for the cats to feed from, she said.
It will also help with residents who are not as keen on cats as she is.
“This creates a sense of togetherness. I think it teaches them compassion as well because they realise people have made an effort to do this,” Ms Hussain said.
Dana Awad, executive director at Provis, said stray or abandoned cats were a common sight around its residential communities, which stretched from Raha Beach to Yas Island and in to the city.
But unauthorised feeding can sometimes leave a bad smell or affect a community's image, she said.
“Many of our residents love cats, and so do we at Provis, so we wanted to address this situation and do our part to keep them well fed without causing inconvenience to anyone in the community,” Ms Awad said.
“We found an effective solution that enables people to feed these cats while complying with the community’s rules.”
She said a team at Provis built and installed the stations and is helping to keep them clean with help from volunteer residents.
“We at Provis are also encouraging more volunteers to support stray cats in our communities while following the international animal welfare guidelines,” she said.
“This idea has proved to be very popular with Gate and Arc Towers residents and we are planning to roll it out across other communities we currently manage.”
There are tens of thousands of stray cats across the capital, which has operated a trap, neuter and release programme since 2007 in an effort to limit the population that had been growing out of control.
Tadweer workers capture stray cats as part of a trap, neuter and release programme in Abu Dhabi last year:
