Meowney Matters: Pet cats consume half of Kashmir’s Rs 1 Cr rabies budget

Srinagar, Jul 16: The exotic pet culture hinging primarily on Persian cats has taken over Kashmir. However, before owning a pet, most people are ignoring the basics of safe and ethical adoption.

The effects can be gauged from the fact that of the Rs 1 crore Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) budget at SMHS Hospital, cat bites exhaust nearly half.

In the past year, from June 2024 to May 2025, 6095 people with cat bites and scratches received ARV at SMHS Hospital.

This number is significant given that these injuries were almost entirely caused by pet cats.

While the rabies threat is often associated with dogs, stray dogs necessitated 6258 ARV injections, almost as many as pet cats.

The irony in these numbers cannot be overstated.

While stray dogs, with their estimated numbers around 90,000 in Srinagar, account for 6,258 bites, the cats, purchased, adored, and living in homes, are nearly as much of a concern.

Head of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at GMC Srinagar, Prof S M Saleem Khan,  believes the “pet cat culture” is more of a “gratification” and responsible pet ownership is “grossly lacking” in Kashmir.

“A pet cat must be administered all vaccines on time. It is living in one’s home, it must be checked up, its diet plan followed. Moreover, there should be proper handling of cat feces,” he said.

However, Prof Khan said, most people just go for purchasing kittens and cats of exotic varieties after seeing the same with relatives and friends.

“It’s not a piece of furniture, a plant, or a dress that you are buying after the so-called inspiration. It is a living creature that needs care. Without that you are not just threatening its life, but of other people too,” he said.

Prof Khan said the annual allocated budget for ARV is Rs 1 crore approximately.

“Imagine half of it is spent on cat bites,” he said.

On the other hand, the illegal sale of pets has become a norm.

Many vegetable sellers or poultry sellers have also started selling Persian cats, often keeping them in unhealthy conditions without proper focus on their health.

Many of the sellers and people who buy these cats abandon them on roads when they get infected and the treatment becomes time and money-consuming.

Dawood Muhammad, founder of Animal Rescue Kashmir, said they have rescued about 60 Persian cats from roads in the last 4 months, mostly with fungal infections.

He said that the absence of an Animal Welfare Board in Kashmir was worsening the scenario.

Animal Welfare Boards are responsible for monitoring the facilities of these animal breeders and sellers, and ensure healthy and ethical pet practices.