Why do we need Cat Beach?
In the rural Malay fishing village of Teluk Bahang in Penang’s northwest corner, local fishermen have been caring for cats for the past decade. Meanwhile in the sophisticated city of George Town, just an hour away, homeless cats are found by kind people every day in the ditches and drains, at markets and restaurants or they may simply have been dumped on the street. Where can they go? Now there is Cat Beach.
Why now? A “Zero Strays Policy” went into effect in July 2014 for Penang state. This means rescued cats cannot be returned to their home colonies and other shelters have no space to keep cats long-term. While we support the principle of removing cats and other animals from the streets, we do not condone their killing. This has given special urgency to the need for a ‘no kill’ cat sanctuary — a place for cats rescued from desperate situations to live and receive regular and loving care.
That’s why a small group of cat-loving volunteers decided in the summer of 2014 to set up a sanctuary for cats. We are inspired by the work of Barbara Janssen who shelters more than 600 dogs at the 4PAWS shelter just up the street.
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