Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation has started sterilizing the stray cats in the city after the orders issued by the Animal Welfare Department of the Central Government. Though it is a common practice to sterilize stray dogs in cities, this initiative of surgically sterilizing stray cats is a first-of-its-kind initiative.
As informed by the head of the health department of the Pune Municipal Corporation, Ashish Bharti, the authorities in Pune have already begun the process of sterilizing stray cats. "The local bodies have been given instructions in these regards by the center. We have started executing the order. So far we have sterilized about 404 cats, while several other cats are undergoing surgeries every day," he informed.
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The decision has been taken to bring under control the population of stray cats on the streets. A team of trained staff from the municipal corporation set out to catch stray cats roaming the streets every day. They are then operated on and sterilized at the government veterinary hospital in the city. They are released back on the streets after they are fully recovered from the surgery injuries, informed Sarika Bhosale, the Chief Veterinary Officer in Pune.
The authorities are also maintaining a record of the sterilized cats by registering their numbers and marking the stray animals for recognition.
