Medical Care, Food and TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return)

In Dubai, thousands of cats are born on the streets, abandoned, injured or left to starve. Despite living in a modern global city, street cats receive no legal protection, no public funding and very little compassion. Many are still viewed as vermin rather than living beings in need of care.

This fundraiser supports one independent rescuer, working completely alone across multiple locations in Dubai.

She has no organisation, no volunteers, no government support and no regular donations. Everything is paid for from her own pocket.

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The reality on the ground

The rescuer feeds large street cat colonies across Dubai every single day. To keep these cats alive, she needs approximately 300 kilograms of cat food every week.

Under normal circumstances, the cost of food is 75 AED for a 10kg bag, which equals 7.5 AED per kilogram.

Over the last two months, the supplier has struggled to sell smaller 1kg packs and temporarily offered a reduced rate, allowing the rescuer to purchase 10kg bags for 60 AED, which equals 6 AED per kilogram. This is the price reflected in the invoices attached to this fundraiser.

This reduced price is temporary. Once this stock runs out, the cost will return to 75 AED per 10kg, increasing weekly and monthly expenses significantly.

What the costs mean in real terms

At the current discounted rate:

300kg per week costs approximately 1,800 AED per week, which is around £360 per week, or £1,440 per month.

Once prices return to normal:

300kg per week will cost approximately 2,250 AED per week, which is around £450 per week, or £1,800 per month for food alone.

The invoices attached show repeated purchases ranging from 120 AED to 480 AED at a time, often several times per week. These are ongoing survival costs, not occasional expenses.

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Feeding help must be paid

Because the rescuer works full time and frequently travels for work, she cannot physically be present at every feeding location every day. There is no volunteer help available.

As a result, she must personally pay people to feed colonies on her behalf when she cannot be there. If she does not organise and fund this herself, the cats are left without food. These paid feeding costs are in addition to the food costs already shown.

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Medical care with no support

Many of the cats she helps are sick, injured or in poor condition. They require veterinary care including vaccinations, parasite treatments, antibiotics, wound care and emergency visits.

There is no free veterinary care available for street cats in Dubai. Every consultation, treatment and medication is paid privately. At present, there are no donations coming in, yet medical needs continue daily.

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TNR has been forced to stop

The rescuer has always practised Trap-Neuter-Return, the only humane and effective way to reduce suffering and control street cat populations.

However, due to lack of funds, TNR had to stop in December 2025.

Without sterilisation, more kittens are born into hunger, disease and danger, and the cycle of suffering grows faster than rescue efforts can keep up. Restarting TNR is impossible without financial support.

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For UK supporters: what your donation means

All conversions are approximate and based on 1 AED being equal to around £0.20.

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Every donation, no matter the size, directly keeps cats fed and alive.

Why help is urgently needed

The rescuer has carried this work completely alone for a long time, financially, physically and emotionally.

She has reached a point where continuing without help is no longer sustainable.

Without urgent support, food runs will stop, paid feeders will no longer be affordable, medical care will be delayed or impossible, TNR will remain stopped and more cats will suffer and die unnecessarily.

This fundraiser is not about growth or expansion. It is about survival.

Please help if you can!

If you are able to donate or share this fundraiser, you are directly helping cats who have no voice and supporting a lone rescuer who continues to do this work despite having no safety net.

Thank you for taking the time to read and for caring about Dubai’s forgotten cats.

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