After cat menace, Raj Bhavan sends SOS to BBMP

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which is usually hounded by calls to tackle stray dogs, was caught off guard with a strange request from the Raj Bhavan. Fed up with the aggressive cats on its premises troubling the Governor and VIPs, Raj Bhavan officials dashed off a strong letter to the BBMP to immediately trap and take away the troublesome tomcats. But the civic body, which specialises in catching dogs, is struggling to catch the cats and has deployed an expert to study their behaviour and coax them.

Disturbing the serene ambience of Raj Bhavan, more than 25 cats, according to sources in Raj Bhavan, are giving sleepless nights to officials. “The cats are very aggressive and cause trouble whenever the Governor goes out for a walk, especially with his dogs. The cats have even injured the dogs. The halls and private residence of the Governor and VIPs are littered with dirt due to these cats,” revealed a source at the Raj Bhavan.

Facing the wrath of the top officials for failing to put an end to the menace, Senior Assistant Director of Horticulture shot off a letter to the BBMP for immediate intervention. A copy of the letter accessed by DH said, “Raj Bhavan is witnessing an increased cat menace in recent times and we request you to trap these cats and rehabilitate suitably.” Acknowledging the complaint, G Anand, Joint Director of Animal Husbandry, BBMP told DH that they visited Raj Bhavan on Wednesday to ascertain the scenario.

“We observed the cats and all of them are free range cats and not domesticated. Hence, the process requires the intervention of the forest department and we have told the forest cell of the BBMP to assist us. Also, we are equipped to catch dogs. But we do not have the expertise to trap cats. It is difficult to catch these cats as they escape in a fraction of a second. On Wednesday also, a few climbed on to the trees and others disappeared into bushes across the garden. We are still figuring out how to catch these cats,” Anand explained.

After a day-long futile attempt to catch them, the officials summoned a cat expert who sought a couple of days’ time to study their behaviour to trap the felines. BBMP officials said most of these cats are cross-bred species and may have sneaked into Raj Bhavan from the surrounding areas.