Cat Protection Program India (CPP)

Cats have a very bad lot in India. Not only are they hunted and killed by dogs, snakes and monkeys, humans also make life difficult for the animals. ‘Cat catchers’, mostly people from a so-called lower caste, lure cats, put them in a sack and throw them through the air until the animals fall unconscious. They catch them for the sole purpose of slaughtering them. They then sell the cheap meat to hotels and restaurants, where it is mixed with other meat and served to unsuspecting customers.

Animal welfare is a top priority in India, but unfortunately only on paper. There would be sufficient legal foundations to protect animals. The problem is that – as in many other countries – the so-called ‘Prevention of Cruelty Act’, the current Indian animal welfare law, is hardly or not properly enforced and implemented. The law clearly states that no living being may be subjected to pain and suffering. If a cat catcher is caught and reported to the police, he usually receives a fine of just 10 rupees (approx. 12 centimes). This is not really a deterrent, not even for poor people who have very little money, because they can sell cat meat for 50 to 80 rupees a kilo. Even with the meagre street cats, this still yields a fat profit, despite occasional fines.

In addition to the Animal Welfare Act, the Indian Penal Code could also be applied. However, as the cat trappers usually belong to one of the poorest sections of the population, the authorities generally refrain from penalising them. The trappers argue that the cats or the sale of their meat is necessary for their survival, as unemployment forces them to do so. However, these people consistently reject any other offers of work. Apparently, cat hunting is still too easy and too attractive for them and poverty is a welcome excuse.

Cats are not particularly popular, on the contrary: thousands and thousands of cats live on the streets, in the slums, in the jungle and in the villages. Nobody knows how many there actually are, they are just there. At best, they are tolerated, sometimes even kept as talented mousers or rat catchers. However, it is rare to find people who deliberately keep cats as pets in order to care for and stroke them, play with them or cuddle them.

Unlike many other animals, the cat is not represented in Hinduism. There is no god who has a cat by his side. It is therefore not surprising that devout Indians have not developed an intimate relationship with this animal. Superstition also contributes to the cat’s unpopularity: black cats are also considered to be particularly unlucky in India and cats crying at night is seen as a bad omen.

The CCP includes education, rescue, care, neutering and adoption. Two cat shelters (Shelter one and Kassiopeia Cat House) with around 150 cats are also part of the programme. Running this project is no easy task in a country where even cat food is extremely difficult to obtain and only available at horrendous prices.