Articles

By Syira SAFM Mama dan papa anak bulus kesayangan ada banyak tanggungjawab. Bukan sahaja kena diberi makan, minum, tempat tinggal yang selesa, kucing peliharaan juga harus dikembiri dan dimandulkan. Proses kembiri kucing ini dipanggil Spay & Neuter. Di Malaysia, masih ramai yang kurang arif tentang keberkesanan Spay & Neuter dalam kalangan haiwan peliharaan tidak kira anjing atau kucing.  Terdapat banyak manfaat apabila kucing anda dikembirikan dari segi kesihatan dan kebahagiaan si comel, ke penjimatan kos dan tanggungan buat pemilik haiwan tersebut. 1. Kucing Akan Lebih Sihat Pakar-pakar veterinar di seluruh dunia bersetuju bahawa antara faedah terbesar pemandulan kucing adalah dari segi kesihatannya. Pemandulan kucing atau Spay & Neuter merendahkan risiko pelbagai penyakit haiwan seperti kanser, jangkitan bakteria, jangkitan kelamin, penyakit pundi kencing dan banyak lagi. Kucing yang dimandulkan juga akan lebih stabil dari segi hormon dan emosi kerana organ pembiakannya dibedah keluar. Anak bulus anda akan kurang kencing merata dan jadi ‘moody’. Kucing yang tidak dimandulkan selalunya berbuat demikian kerana hormon pembiakan mereka meragam dalam satu proses dipanggil ‘in heat’. Jadi, kalau tak mahu Oyen kencing merata, mengiau memanjang dan bergaduh dengan kucing jiran lagi, tiba masa untuk bawanya ke klinik haiwan! 2. Kucing Akan Hidup Lebih Lama Kalau si comel sihat, gembira, kurang merayau ‘berdating’ dan bergaduh-gaduh, sudah tentu ia boleh hidup lebih lama. Anda mesti selalu berharap dan berdoa kucing anda dapat tinggal bersama dalam masa yang lama. Kucing yang sudah dikembiri atau dimandulkan dapat hidup sampai berbelas-belas tahun. Tidak kurang juga yang mencecah umur 20-an! Percayalah, dengan Spay & Neuter, kucing peliharaan anda akan lebih sihat dan panjang umur, dengan izin Tuhan. 3. Kucing Akan Berpelakuan Lebih Baik Kucing yang sudah dimandulkan selalunya akan lebih tenang dan ‘chill’. Dengan kurangnya hormon pembiakan, kucing peliharaan tidak banyak meragam, merayau, mencakar, mengiau lama-lama, kencing merata dan membuat huru-hara. Bagi kucing jantan, Spay & Neuter boleh mengurangkan sikap suka bergaduh dan ‘gatal’. Kucing betina juga begitu. Kalau dimandulkan, kucing betina akan meluangkan lebih masa di rumah daripada pergi ‘berdating’ kemudian bunting lagi sekali. 4. Jimat Kos Penjagaan Kucing Seperti yang dikatakan sebelum ini, kucing yang tidak dikembirikan lebih risiko berpenyakit. Kos perubatan sudah tentu tinggi buat si bulus ni. Yang pastinya, pemilik haiwan hanya perlu tanggung kos vaksinasi, medical checkup berkala dan kos pembedahan kembiri (Spay & Neuter) sahaja. Jangan tambahkan lagi bil perubatan buat penyakit yang boleh dielakkan. Ramai juga yang sanggup menanggung ‘cucu cicit’ kucing peliharaan yang tidak dimandulkan. Ini merupakan satu bebanan yang tidak semena-mena. Anda tidak perlu menjaga kucing yang banyak kalau tidak mampu, malah ia akan stress-kan anda dan juga kucing-kucing yang berebut makanan dan tempat tinggal. Kembirikan kucing anda dengan segera. Sebenarnya, pembedahan Spay & Neuter tidaklah memakan kos yang terlalu tinggi dan anda hanya akan membayar sekali sahaja buat seekor kucing. Tempoh masa pun bukanlah lama seperti pembedahan manusia, hanya beberapa jam sahaja. Kucing anda pun tidak akan berasa sakit langsung, kerana ia akan dibius sebelum pembedahan. Cuma pastikan anda mengambil khidmat doktor veterinar di klinik yang sah supaya prosedur pembedahan dilakukan dengan betul dan selamat. 5. Mengurangkan Populasi Kucing Jalanan Yang Terbiar Kucing secara biologinya cepat membiak. Kucing betina semuda umur 6 bulan sudah boleh bunting dan melahirkan kira-kira 4-6 anak kucing sekaligus. Mereka juga boleh bunting 1-2 kali setahun. Cuba buat matematik, kalau hanya seekor kucing yang tidak dimandulkan bunting 2 kali setahun dan melahirkan 6 anak kucing. Dalam satu tahun, 12 anak kucing dilahirkan di jalanan. Darabkan dengan adik-beradiknya sekali, populasi kucing akan bertambah berlipat ganda! Malangnya, banyak kes pembuangan haiwan peliharaan (pet dumping) berlaku disebabkan pemilik yang tidak mampu lagi menjaga kucing yang membiak. Padahal, jika mereka kembiri dan mandulkan kucing tersebut, perkara ini tidak akan berlaku. Kucing yang dibuang selalunya adalah ibu kucing yang masih menjaga anak-anak kucing yang kecil. Apabila dibuang, mereka akan hilang sumber makanan dan tempat tinggal. Natijahnya, banyak kucing jalanan yang maut dilanggar kereta, mati kelaparan dan jatuh sakit. Adakah kita sebagai manusia begitu tidak berhati perut untuk berbuat begini? Umpama menyeksa haiwan tersebut untuk mati secara perlahan, keseorangan dan terseksa. Konklusinya, kembiri kucing (Spay & Neuter) dapat mengatasi pelbagai masaalah. Kedua-dua anak bulus dan penjaganya akan lebih bahagia, tenang dan damai. Kucing akan lebih sihat, stabil dan sayangkan mama dan papanya kerana menjaganya dengan penuh keperihatinan. Jadi, jika anda betul sayangkan kucing kesayangan anda, jangan ragu-ragu lagi untuk mendapatkan nasihat doktor veterinar. Elakkan kesengsaraan haiwan yang boleh membawa dosa. Marilah kita berkongsi bersama sahabat dan keluarga tentang kepentingan Spay & Neuter buat si bulus kesayangan.

By SAFM If you are reading this, you are probably considering owning a pet for you and your family. Owning a pet comes with huge responsibility. Pet owners should do their research before providing a forever home for their furry friend. So, here’s a checklist of you what you need to consider before getting a pet. 1. Choosing a pet based on your commitment level Pet owners should consider the life span of each pet for example; dogs and cats have an average life span of 10 – 15 years or above. Would you be able to commit for a long term? Besides that, dogs and cats require a lot of human interaction and attention. However, getting a pet like a fish requires less time to devote compared to other pets. 2. Financial Condition for its well-being As a pet owner, we should be well aware of our financial condition before getting a pet. There’s a lot of pet checklist on this topic alone. A pet requires proper lodging, food, grooming, toys, neutering and veterinary care especially owning a dog or cat. Pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs and birds are considered low maintenance but we need to make sure they are well taken care of based on their nature of habit. 3. Consider your living situation if it fits your lifestyle Some of us may be living in a rented place, which generally means we have to negotiate with our landlord on having a pet. However, in Malaysia it is legal to keep pets in a landed property or high-rise buildings unless the local council has rule prohibiting this. Pet owners should know their legal rights and research more of their council rules around the area before owning a pet. 4. Health condition of yourself and family members Before introducing a new pet to your family, pet owners should be aware of each member’s health condition. Make sure you and your family members are not allergic to animal fur. If you are unsure, you may want to spend some time at your friend’s house with pets or you can pay a visit to pet shops. This is to avoid future possibility of pet dumping on the streets. 5. Work, home and pet balanced lifestyle All of us are very busy these days trying to balance our work life with our family and having a pet is expanding the responsibility. Especially for cats and dogs, they need a lot of attention that can accommodate your lifestyle. We need to invest our time and effort to potty train and some commands or behavioral training. Unlike rabbit, or bird types of pet requires less training. Moreover, pet owners should also do their research on pet care such as grooming, nutrition tips and safety needs. Simple research through the internet or refer to their nearest vet would be very informative for every pet owners. So in conclusion, there is a lot of work to do before getting a pet for your family. A pet isn’t a toy or objects you can dispose of when you’re sick and tired of it. It’s a living being with feelings, intelligence and emotions. Before thinking of a pet (preferably from adoption and shelters), set your mind correctly and teach yourself and your family responsibility. See if you tick all the things in this pet checklist. If you can provide them with positivity and warmth, your pets can make your life and you home happy and fulfilled!

By SAFM The Animal Welfare Act 2015 Malaysia was gazetted in December 2015, finally putting animal abusers in the country accountable for their crimes. Animal rights are still at sub-par standards in Malaysian. Due to the lack of awareness, animal cruelty and abuse continue to be a sickness in Malaysia. Many well-meaning pet owners ended up putting their pets in distress and trauma, especially among new pet owners and trend followers. So, this article helps to shed some light on what constitutes as animal abuse and violation of animal rights under the law. Based on Animal Welfare Act 2015:  Part V – Cruelty to Animals Any person who :- cruelly beats, kicks, overloads, tortures or terrifies any animals; overrides or overdrives any animal, except for activities in relation to equestrian sports which is listed in the First Schedule of the Sports Development Act 1997 [Act 576] causes, procures or, being the owner, permits any animal to be so used; being the owner of any animal or, being the person in charge of any animal in confinement, fails or neglects to provide such animal with sufficient food, drink or shelter; causes any unnecessary pain or suffering, or, being the owner, permits any unnecessary pain or suffering to any animal; causes, procures or, being the owner, permits any animal to be confined, conveyed, lifted or carried in such manner or position as to subject such animal to unnecessary pain or suffering; employs, causes, procures or, being the owner, permits to be employed at any work or labour, any animal which in consequence of any disease, infirmity, wound or sore, or otherwise is unfit to be so employed; mutilates any animal in any manner including ear cropping, tail docking, defanging, declawing, branding, piercing or debarking unless in the manner as determined and certified by a veterinary authority or a registered veterinary surgeon; skins, roasts or kills any live animals for superstitious belief through a procedure which causes pain and suffering to the animals; extracts any parts of any live animals through a procedure which causes pain and suffering to the animals for the purpose of getting skins, oils or other animal products; dynamites, electrifies or poisons any streams, rivers or other water bodies for the purpose of killing, harvesting or catching animals; keeps any animal chained or tethered by using a short or heavy chain or cord, or hobbles the legs of animal; keeps or confines any animal in any cage or other receptacle which does not measure sufficiently in height, length and width to permit the natural movement of the animal; offers for sale any animal which is suffering in pain by reason of mutilation, starvation, thirst, overcrowding or other ill-treatment; possesses, without reasonable cause, any animal which is suffering in pain by reason of mutilation, starvation, thirst, overcrowding or other ill-treatment; abandons any animal in circumstances which the animal is likely to suffer trauma, pain or suffering by reason of relocation, starvation, thirst, injury or illness; being the owner of any animal, willfully or negligently causes any animal to go out unattended in any place while the animal is infected with infectious disease; being the owner of animal, willfully or negligently causes any diseased, disabled or injured animal to die in any place; causes, obtain or assists at the fighting or baiting of any animal, or keeps, uses, manages, or acts or assists in the management of any premises or place for the purpose of fighting or baiting any animal, or permits any premises or place to be so kept, managed or used, or receives or causes or obtains any person to receive, money for the admission of any person to such premises or place; promotes or takes part in any shooting match or competition of which animals are released from captivity for the purpose of such shooting; or organizes, participates, promotes or in any manner is associated with any sport or activity involving the use of animals, where such animals are subjected to cruelty, either during the sport or activity itself or while in training, Culprits committing these offences as mentioned above can be convicted with a fine not less than RM 20,000 and not more than RM100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not more than 3 years or to both. Notwithstanding subsection (1), the following acts shall not constitute as an offence of animal cruelty: any acts which the Board has determined to be accepted veterinary management procedures; any baiting of any pest animals for the purposes of public health, disease control, population control and relocation for conservation done by any lawful authority or any person approved by the Board; or feeding of animals as food for other animals in accordance with their natural eating habits. If you see any act of abuse against the law stated, file a report here or contact our Whatsapp hotline +60 13 706 6770. For the complete information on the Animal Welfare Act 2015 Malaysia, head over to this link for a comprehensive look at the law. 

By SAFM Have you recently seen an incident of animal abuse in your area? It could be a pet dog chained and beaten by bad owners, or a caged monkey deliberately starved, or a stray cat or bird being harmed. If you’re looking for how to report animal abuse in Malaysia, here’s what you need to do: The first and MOST important thing to do is to gather evidence by recording the incident. Especially in Malaysia, animal abuse reports need strong visual evidence such as photos or better, videos to ensure a strong case against the abusers. With our smartphones, we should be able to record as many pictures and videos and catching the abuser with undeniable evidence. Videos can become solid proof compared to audio recording in the eyes of the law. If we do not have enough proof, it can difficult to make a case against the abuser in court. Under our Malaysian law, we have the Animal Welfare Act 2015 to help animals get justice against animal cruelty. Animal abusers or pet owners can be accountable for any bad actions. They can be fined and also serve jail time for their cruel act against animals. The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) is the ultimate authority on all animal abuse reports However, now there are many non-profit organizations that are available to reach out for animal welfare cases in Malaysia. Our Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) is one of the non- profit organization which is available to handle animal cruelty or abuse cases anytime of the day. There are easier channels and faster way’s to report animal abuse to us, which is via Hotline (Whatsapp to 013 706 6770) or using our contact form directly from our website. We need more volunteers to help with animal abuse cases, to be the voice for the animals against animal cruelty. Keep in mind, animal abuses aren’t confined to strangers beating strays in the streets, but it also includes pet owners and animal lovers themselves who abuse animals without them knowing. There is much education and awareness we need to do before the public can truly be ethical and compassionate towards our animal friends. So, if you see an animal being abused, malnourished, or needing help, act quick. Take photos and videos and report the animal abuse and save their lives. Please note to send your report to us with pictures and videos of the animal. How to gather STRONG evidences of animal abuse reports to Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) Videos and photos are strong evidence to make a case against the abusers in court. Make sure to collect information about abusers name, full address, incident location / address or other information such as vehicle number. If you do not have abusers name or exact address, please make sure you have abusers image or location of the incident that you can send to us via WHATSAPP. Please collect reliable information for the case before reporting, to make sure we are not misleading the case before starting the investigation. You may contact us directly via WHATSAPP @ 013-706 6770 or email us at enquiry@animal.org.my You can also submit your enquiry through our CONTACT FORM here.