Mumbai, India is a tough place to be a cat. With a terrible overpopulation of homeless animals, there’s simply not a home for every animal. However, just because they may not have homes does not mean they should not have access to love, care, and support.

The life of Mumbai’s cats are radically different from what people have become accustomed to in the US. This is not to suggest that homeless animals in the US don’t suffer, it’s simply that the problems are of different magnitudes. When IDA India accepts cats, they’re often terribly wounded, covered in maggots, and have injured limbs. When you’re forced to live in a rapidly moving, hustle and bustle kind of world, not every cat is lucky enough to stay out of trouble. But, these cats are truly the warriors of the cat world.

When our IDA India team begins to treat the cats, they patiently wait in their cages; they seem to know we are there to help them. Some of these cats remain in the custody of their new caretakers for months at a time but are released back to the people who got them admitted in the first place. Because although, again, these cats may not have homes in the literal sense, there are communities of kindhearted and compassionate people who watch out for these community cats.

Where these cats may have originally gone back to fighting, particularly during mating season, they would not be calmer. In the hospital, under the expertise of Dr. Parab, the dressing team, surgeons, and assistants, these cats heal from the great pain, distress, and near-death experiences they’ve suffered. They are restored to normal health and eventually released back to the world they came from, except this time they’re sterilized and vaccinated as well, much like we do with community animals here.

These cats are fully prepared for life on the outside with great nutrition and expert care. A look from where these cats came from to what they are now is all it takes to see how important this work is. Through the compassion and hard work of the IDA India team, these warrior cats have a better chance in this world. They're certainly no lions or tigers but the kindness they retain, while living in the world that they do, is nothing short of miraculous.

If you're inspired by these brave cats, please make a donation.