Pawsitive Vibes calls for community help to tackle Kuching’s growing stray cat population

KUCHING (March 17): In a city known as the Cat City, the reality for many felines roaming the streets of Kuching is far less charming.

While stray cats may not always be visible in the city centre, the problem remains widespread across suburbs, wet markets and villages (kampung) areas, where many animals are left to fend for themselves in difficult conditions.

According to the owner of Pawsitive Vibes Kuching, Greg Larcombe, 41, the stray cat situation in the city is far more serious than most people realise.

“It’s really very serious. Often people may not realise this if they don’t see a lot of stray cats in the city centre, but there are a lot around.

“Once you visit the wet markets, suburbs and kampung areas, you’ll see that there are huge numbers and many of them are in terrible condition, suffering from sickness or injury,” he said when interviewed by the Borneo Post on Sunday.

Pawsitive Vibes Kuching is an animal rescue organisation founded in 2025 by Larcombe, who strives to raise awareness on getting stray cats the help they need. The team also organises adoption drives, regularly updating their social media pages for those interested in adopting a new furry friend.

Larcombe says one of the biggest misconceptions people have about stray cats is the belief that they are able to survive on their own without human intervention.

“I think the biggest misconception is that cats can simply take care of themselves. Yes, they are very independent animals, but there are still many dangers they face living outside.

“And because we have created an environment that is dangerous for them, we really do need to step in to help them as much as we can,” he said.

He stressed that the most effective way to control the growing stray cat population is through neutering and spaying.

“Neutering and spaying is the number one most important thing we can do to help stray cats. Overbreeding is a serious issue that can lead to competition over limited resources such as food, but it also leads to more illnesses and diseases.

“As stray populations increase and become more dense, it’s very easy for fatal illnesses such as Feline Parvovirus, Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) to pass between cats,” he explained.

However, rescuing stray animals is not without its challenges. He noted that balancing time, funding and capacity remains one of the biggest hurdles faced by the team.

“Like any animal rescue group, our biggest challenge is balancing time, funds and capacity. We try to rescue as many cats as possible, but we are only a small team and we have limited space at our shelter.

“This is why we try our best to adopt out as many cats as we can. We do this at a weekly adoption drive at Barkpark Borneo where we have an adoption booth every Saturday and Sunday to help find homes for rescued cats.

“At the same time, everything we do costs a lot of money, so we are always having to find new ways to generate funds, which also takes up a lot of our time,” he added.

He said one of the key initiatives carried out by the group is the Trap, Vaccinate, Neuter and Release (TVNR) programme, an internationally recognised approach to managing stray animal populations.

“Spaying and neutering is definitely the most effective way to reduce the stray cat population. We operate a project called TVNR, which is the internationally recognised best solution to managing stray populations.

“However, in order for this to be truly effective in Kuching, we need to roll it out on a much larger scale. Ideally we need to see hundreds of stray animals neutered every month, but we are optimistic that we can get to that stage through collaboration and community support,” he said.

He also encouraged members of the public to play a role in supporting rescue efforts.

“There are many ways that people can help. First, they can help support their chosen rescue group or rescuer by donating money. If you prefer something more interactive, we have a ‘sponsor a cat’ programme and Humane Animal Society Sarawak (HASS) at Barkpark Borneo also has a similar programme for dogs.

“We also do fundraising events which we will promote on our Facebook page to help us raise critical funds for our rescue operation. In addition to helping with donations, people can also volunteer at the animal shelter or fundraising events.

“Lastly, a big way people can help is by adopting a cat or encouraging their friends and family to do so. If anybody is considering getting a cat, we have so many with such lovely personalities. For every cat we adopt out, we free up the space to help one more,” Larcombe said.