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SCMP’s Asia desk

Jakarta has a stray cat problem, but its governor has an innovative idea how to solve it: create a “cat island” in the Thousand Islands regency, an area just north of its coast, to house the free-roaming felines, and boost tourism.
“The idea about the cat island is not new. Japan has already established ones, and they have become extraordinary tourist destinations,” Governor Pramono Anung said last Thursday, according to The Jakarta Post.
“If we can make it happen, the island can be a source of revenue for the Thousand Islands administration,” he added, as quoted by tempo.co.
The island would attract both international and local tourists, he said. “People will come and visit the cats.”

Ultimately, the island would function as a rehabilitation centre and house a cat hospital.
Pramono himself has actively contributed to helping strays in his city.
Last week, he received an award from the Indonesian World Record Museum for performing the most cat sterilisations. In February alone, the city sterilised up to 1,000 cats and Pramono hopes to reach 21,000 sterilisations this year.
A representative from the Jakarta cat-lover community, Sonny Kastara Dhaniswara, who handed Pramono the award, endorsed the idea of a cat island.
“We have a vision, a dream and an ambition that there will be an island in Indonesia that will become a cat rehabilitation centre,” Sonny told local media.

The sterilisation programme was part of the city’s efforts to maintain its status as a rabies-free city, said the Jakarta Food Security, Maritime and Agriculture Agency.
“Controlling the stray cat population without eliminating them or inflicting harm on animals can be done through sterilisation,” said agency head Suharini Eliawati last Friday.
The uncontrolled growth of the feral cat population in Jakarta had caused various problems, including property damage and an increased risk of disease, she added.
Last year, the city had an estimated 860,000 stray cats and received 465 nuisance reports about them.


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Cats are fed at a shelter in Bogor, West Java province, Indonesia, in December 2019. Photo: Reuters

A cat reacts as it is being fed  at a shelter in Bogor, West Java province, Indonesia in December 2019. Photo: Reuters

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung plans a “cat island” to tackle its stray cat issue. Photo: EPA-EFE

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A woman cooks rendang, an Indonesian meat dish simmered in coconut milk and spices, for her family in Banda Aceh. Photo: AFP

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Jakarta’s innovative “cat island” plan aims to solve its stray cat crisis, promote tourism and establish a safe feline haven


Jakarta’s innovative “cat island” plan aims to solve its stray cat crisis, promote tourism and establish a safe feline haven.


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