Noble undertaking: Ungku Joha said one of the association's main goals is to change the mindset of the community towards local cats.
JOHOR BARU: Most Malaysians do not value the local (non-pedigree) cat breed and that is why many of them end up being abandoned, said newly formed Malaysia Cat Lovers Association (MCLA) president Ungku Joha Ungku Mohamad.
He said one of the association’s goals was to change the mindset of the community towards this issue.
“Even at cat competitions, it is always the pedigree cats that get the most attention as they are expensive and require high maintenance.
“We want owners of local breeds to feel not left out as we believe that if the animal is valued, it will not be abandoned,” he said at the association’s first annual general meeting here yesterday.
He said that while there were other cat associations in the country, what made them stand out was their agenda to help build the image of cats of local breed.
“We want to encourage all cat owners – not only those who have expensive breeds – to register their pets, insert a microchip and be accountable for it.
“We also hope to spark more interest in local cat adoption by holding competitions with special categories for these cats to compete in as well,” he said.
Ungku Joha said that while the association did not have any shelter for cats at the moment, they were hoping to work with the Veterinary Department and the local council in addressing the issue of stray cats.
“For now, we will just concentrate on creating awareness for the association and its causes,” he said, adding that those interested in joining can log on to MCLA’s Facebook page for more details.
Sumber: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/10/20/Local-cat-breeds-are-valuable-too-Group-aims-to-promote-nonpedigree-felines/
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