Sometimes a well-meaning act could go awry for one reason or another. Some kind-hearted souls in Lebuh Sungai Senam, Ipoh Garden who rent houses about a year ago have a habit of feeding pigeons and stray cats outside of their rented premises.
The birds’ dropping would dirty cars and the clothes on the clothes lines. “When you open the gate of your house the bird droppings would fall on your head straight down your face,” claimed one enraged resident.
A lady jogger told Ipoh Echo that a flock of pigeons would fly away whenever she jogged past by the area. “I’ve to chase these birds away with water. Plus, it’s difficult to wash clothes that are soiled by bird droppings,” she lamented.
Regarding stray cats, a distressed housewife had this to say, “The cats would sneak into my house and steal my food countless times. Once when I went out to water the plants, and when I returned, my dinner was gone. At least 30 cats would amble around waiting for feeding time.”
The residents seldom open their doors and windows for fear of these feline intruders and to keep out the smell of their excretion. To make matters worse, there is an empty house nearby which has become a den for the stray cats.
Concerned residents had complained to the Ipoh City Council numerous times but no actions were forthcoming. Highlighting the problem in the media is their only solution to gain some attention and to put some sense into the perpetrators whose well-intended act has cause much inconvenience to their neighbours.
Mei Kuan
