Mayor says he will not allow cat feces across the city, urges ministry to hand over facility

Male’ City Mayor Adam Azim says he has twice requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare to hand over the cat facility built in Farukolhufushi, stating there is no acceptable excuse for cat feces littering the streets of the capital.

Residents have long complained about the growing number of stray cats in Male'. To address the issue, the Male' City Council funded and built a dedicated cat facility in Hulhumale', which was inaugurated by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu in November 2024. The facility was later placed under the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, but the stray cat problem remains unresolved.

The issue was raised again during the council’s public meeting on Wednesday, when North Galolhu Councillor Mohamed Saif Fathih expressed concern over increasing complaints of cat feces in several areas of the city. He argued that the council should consider including the cleaning of cat waste in its regulatory responsibilities.

Saif also questioned why cats were not being taken to the facility, noting that the ministry currently has only 30 cats housed there.

“When we talk about this, they say the facility is not ready. Are the streets of the city ready for cats to defecate in? Or that the facility is not perfect. Are the roads of Male' city perfect for animals to give birth on?” Saif said.

Mayor Azim said he has formally written to the ministry twice, requesting the handover of the facility due to the lack of progress. He stressed that the council built the centre specifically to manage the city’s cat population.

“So no excuse is acceptable today to allow cat poop all over the city. Neither can the government. The person entrusted with running the facility cannot say anything either. If they are not able to do it, hand it over today,” he said.

Azim further accused the person in charge of the facility of maintaining it irresponsibly, adding that it was disappointing to see a party that once strongly advocated for cats failing to uphold that commitment today.

Last year, Animal Welfare Minister Dr. Mariyam Mariya revealed that the non‑recurrent expenditure for the “Olhuhiyaa” facility in Farukolhufushi amounted to MVR 1.2 million. She said the operational cost would be MVR 368 per cat per month, or MVR 5,416 per cat per year.

The facility later experienced an outbreak that resulted in the deaths of 26 cats.