Ameer Ali, an auto driver at Ukkadam bus stand, has taken on a rather unusual arrangement by looking after two stray cats —not at home, but at a bus stand — as his wife is not fond of the felines.
The auto driver saw the two cats when he was passing through Vincent Road four months ago. Three other cats had been killed by speeding buses inside the bus stand, which is when he decided to do something for the surviving kittens.
Realising that his constantly mobile work would not help keep the cats safe, he came up with the unique idea of tying a string with a loose knot around the cat’s neck and keeping them tethered to a tree stump near a tea shop in the bus stand. “Cats have always been special to me. As my wife does not like them, I decided to rear them in some way or the other. Fortunately, the workers at the tea shop also liked the kittens and allowed me to keep them inside the shop at night,” said Ameer.
One of the cats jumps onto Ameer’s lap and purrs as he speaks. The two cats attract all those who come to drink tea and buy garlands from a roadside vendor nearby, he says. The workers at the tea stall take care of the cats in Ameer’s absence and keep them safe inside the tea stall at night. “Many passengers offer money to give milk for them. They are amazed to see the cats with string much like dogs on a leash,” said Alex, the tea master.
Ameer has rescued around thirty cats from the city. Many of the cats have left after they grew up and Ameer has no regrets. “We all feel happy that Ameer treats the stray cats as his own children. Now, we all take care of them as our own,” said Suneera, the flower vendor.