It has other feline companions too because my neighbor puts out cat food near his gate every day.
He told me he already has seven cats as pets inside his home.
I and some Science Education Centre (now Centre for Higher Secondary Education) mates yesterday evening went for a "hedhikaa" (Maldivian snacks) session at Dhon Manik Sky View restaurant at the Alimas Carnival and found some cats hanging out in front of the eatery, one of them pregnant.
All stray cats in Male' are at the mercy of food outlets and homes for their daily survival.
They won't be alive if the eateries and homes don't feed them regularly.
One of my SEC friends who came to the hedhikaa session yesterday said that earlier there were 10 cats on his home lane but now there is only two.
"I think some cat lovers are taking them in now," he said.
I haven't followed up on whether the Opposition dominated Male' City Council, with its Opposition Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, has delivered on their promise of the public provision of veterinary services and a shelter for cats as a response to many cat lovers' opposition to euthanizing stray cats.
Behind the silver lining of these promises used to lurk a very murky fate for cats some time back.
In one instance it was about a local island going on a killing spree of cats after labelling them as "pests" instead of "pets" as the perpetually hungry adorable creatures were found to break open garbage containing bags - and inadvertently spilling refuse - before WAMCO's collector vehicles arrive on the scene.
And let's not forget that notorious video that went viral on social media which showed a cat hanged with a noose and its motionless (presumably dead) body dragged on the ground.
Recently there was a news item on Sun about a woman motorist who had to be treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a hospital after her motorcycle collided with a cat which was crossing the road. The cat was killed on the spot but there was no reason whatsoever for the newspaper to publish the gruesome picture of it lying in the middle of the road.
And I, who have now transitioned into a "**** democracy" mode like some of my Maldivian friends, dare now share my eye witness account of a Bangladesh servant catching some kittens, while their frightened mother was watching the action from a safe distance, as he put the kittens into a gunny bag to do what with them I dare not guess.
And what else is notable about this horrific incident is that this happened on the roof of Hikifinifenmaage house in Henveiru ward in Male' - a home traditionally linked with political connections to the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) which is now desperately trying to get President Solih re-elected on September 9.
For those who are spiritual and religious, let's not forget that during the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Allah (God) informed him that He was going to send to Hell for punishment a woman who tied a cat and left it to die without feeding it.
Our Sri Lanka neighbors may find it obligatory to feed wildlife because their Buddhist religion teaches that a person with bad karma in his previous life might be reincarnated in the form of an animal which results in Sri Lankans feeding wildlife in order to ensure their human ancestor relatives are taken care of even if they return to Earth as animals.
But it should be enough for us Muslim Maldivians to take care of our flora and fauna because Allah and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have called upon us to deal with compassion our natural environment and all that lives in it.
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