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For months now, I’ve been living with a problem I didn’t create - a problem born from my neighbour’s “kindness.” Every day, she dumps leftover rice on the ground in front of my house to feed stray cats.
At first, I tried to understand. After all, compassion for animals is something most of us are taught to have. But one week passes, then two - the rice turns grey, rots, stinks, and becomes a breeding ground for flies and rats. The strays eventually stop eating it, but by then, the damage is done.
More and more strays start appearing in our area, drawn by the smell of food. When there isn’t enough to go around, they become desperate - jumping over fences into my compound, digging up plants, scratching cars, stealing raw fish from the kitchen, and even pooping around the house.
Once, a stray cat sneaked into the bedroom while my asthmatic parents were asleep. Another time, they attacked the birds in our garden. It’s chaos. And honestly, with experiences like these, how can I ever have the heart to love them?
That’s why I was glad when I saw the news about the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) prohibiting stray feeding, with offenders facing a maximum compound of RM500.
However, the ban wasn’t well received by many, who accused the council of lacking empathy. Some argued that if people stop feeding strays, the animals would turn to rubbish bins - worsening the problem.
But in my area, even when strays are fed, they still rummage through rubbish bins, leaving the surroundings filthy. And when nothing is done, they multiply, dominate public spaces, and eventually become a bigger issue.
I’m not much of an animal lover, but I’m not an animal hater either. I believe we must balance compassion with responsibility. Feeding strays and then walking away, unconcerned about the aftermath, isn’t compassion - it’s negligence disguised as kindness.
Since 2017, Penang’s Independent Aid for Protection and Welfare of Animals (IAPWA) has helped over 7,800 dogs and rehomed more than 1,000 animals through its Trap-Neuter-Release programme. We need more such efforts - humane, structured, and sustainable. So why not take it a step further? Why not set aside an annual budget to tackle this issue the right way - instead of turning it into a blame game between feeders, neighbours, and the council?
As someone who lives with the consequences of careless feeding, I cannot stress enough the importance of aligning compassion with accountability. Loving animals shouldn’t mean neglecting hygiene, safety, or the wellbeing of neighbours.
There has to be a better way - one that allows us to care for strays responsibly, without turning our homes into battlegrounds between kindness and chaos.
Maybe compassion isn’t just about giving food. Maybe it’s about supporting sterilisation programmes, adopting, reporting irresponsible feeding, and educating communities on proper stray care.
Because at the end of the day, the real question remains: How do we show compassion - and still live a peaceful, healthy life alongside the strays?
Fa Abdul (fa.abdul.penang@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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