Malé council seeks control of Olhu Hiyaa if stray cat issue remains unresolved

Malé City Council has decided to ask the government to hand over the Olhu Hiyaa cat facility to the council if the issue of stray cats in the capital is not addressed within the next three months.

Olhu Hiyaa was established as part of efforts to address the growing number of cats on the streets of Malé and was officially opened by President Mohamed Muizzu in November 2024.

Although the facility was developed with the involvement of Malé City Council, its management was assigned to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare after the council raised concerns over how it was being operated. Following the dissolution of the ministry, responsibility for the facility was transferred to the Fisheries Ministry.

At an official council meeting on Wednesday, councillors approved a proposal to formally write to the Fisheries Ministry over the issue.

The council decided to give the ministry three months to address the stray cat problem. If all stray cats in Malé are not transferred to the facility within that period, the council will request that management of Olhu Hiyaa be handed over to the city authority.

Councillors raised concerns over the number of cats on the streets and what they described as inadequate treatment being provided at Olhu Hiyaa.

They said cats on the streets were affected by various illnesses and raised public health and sanitation concerns over cat waste in public areas.

Councillors also noted that Olhu Hiyaa had been equipped with facilities intended to provide treatment and control the cat population, but said those services were not being adequately carried out.

They also criticised the ministry for launching another initiative, Project Baukaalo, while concerns remained over the operation of Olhu Hiyaa. Councillors said public funds were being spent without resolving the underlying problem.

All councillors present at Wednesday’s meeting agreed to request that the ministry transfer the facility to the council if the situation is not resolved.

Malé Mayor Adam Azim said Olhu Hiyaa has the capacity and facilities required to accommodate cats currently living on the streets of the capital.

The council has previously raised concerns about the operation of the facility after receiving complaints over the number of cats remaining on the streets and cat waste in public areas. At the time, the council also called on the government to hand over the facility if the ministry was unable to operate it effectively.

Olhu Hiyaa was established under one of the government’s first 100-day commitments as a long-term measure to address the increasing stray cat population in Malé.

The facility includes shelters for cats and arrangements to provide veterinary treatment.

However, an inspection report prepared by four animal welfare organisations after visiting the facility raised concerns over conditions at Olhu Hiyaa.

According to the report, cats with fungal and viral infections were being kept alongside healthy cats, while hygiene standards were inadequate. The organisations said these conditions had contributed to an outbreak of mycoplasma at the facility.

The report also raised concerns that cats were not receiving adequate treatment and said a significant number had died at the facility.