— By Garima Mishra
What began with two residents feeding a handful of hungry community cats has evolved into a remarkable story of responsible caregiving, neighbourhood dialogue, and peaceful coexistence
It’s 6.30 a.m. While most residents of Siciliaa Housing Society in Pune are just beginning their day, a different kind of morning routine is unfolding on a WhatsApp group. There are no discussions about water supply, parking disputes, or maintenance notices. Instead, a message pops up from Prachi Sharma, one of the society’s community cat feeders.
“I’m travelling today. Could someone please feed my cats?”
Within moments, another volunteer replies, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of them.”
Such exchanges are routine. Whether a feeder is travelling, a community cat needs veterinary care, or funds have to be pooled for an injured stray animal, someone is always ready to step in. To an outsider, it may seem like an ordinary WhatsApp group. In reality, it is the backbone of a quiet volunteer network that has transformed the way community cats are cared for in Siciliaa.
From Two Caregivers to a Circle of Compassion
The journey began nearly a decade ago when two senior citizens, Seema Singh and Parminder Kaur, started feeding a few hungry community cats that had made Siciliaa their home. They weren’t trying to launch an initiative; they simply couldn’t ignore animals that waited for food every day. Gradually, others joined them. Sisters Manisha Reddy and Madhavi Reddy became regular caregivers. A tiny kitten’s persistent cries during one of my evening walks drew me into the fold, and my husband and daughter soon began helping whenever I couldn’t make it for feeding. Before long, Prachi Sharma and her daughter Yuvika, Annette Martin, her husband Shawn Kurian, Shivansh Singh, and his mother Vandana Singh had also become part of the effort.
Today, around a dozen volunteers work together to ensure Siciliaaa’s 11 community cats are never left hungry or uncared for. Except for Seema and Parminder, every feeder is a full-time working professional who balances this responsibility with work and family life.
Each cat has its own personality. Stella has every reason to be wary. Abandoned nearly two kilometres away from the society as a kitten, she disappeared for almost two months before eventually finding her way back – injured, frightened and distrustful. Even today, she waits patiently on a compound wall and comes forward only when one of the familiar feeders arrives.
Finding Common Ground, One Bowl at a Time
Caring for cats has never been as simple as putting out food.
Over the years, the feeders found themselves at the centre of disagreements within the society. Some residents objected to feeding inside the premises, while others demanded that the cats be relocated, even launching a signature campaign. Instead of responding with confrontation, the volunteers chose to follow the legal route, first approaching the Managing Committee and later the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for designated feeding points.
PMC officials visited the society, met both residents and feeders, identified suitable locations for designated feeding points, and reiterated that community cats could not be relocated from their territories. More importantly, the emphasis shifted from conflict to responsible caregiving.
While the formal allotment of feeding points is still awaited, the volunteers have already adopted those practices. The cats are fed away from children’s play areas and common walkways, using packaged cat food. Each of the 11 community cats is sterilised and vaccinated, ensuring that the population remains stable and healthy.
Making Space for Cats—and for Everyone Else
Over the years, I have realised that feeding the cats was the easy part. Building trust – with the animals as well as with fellow residents – required far more patience.
One incident captures that perfectly. A resident who was bothered by the smell of cat food near her wing approached me directly and explained her concern courteously. We addressed the issue immediately – a reminder that conversations can often solve what arguments cannot.
Another incident, just days ago, reflected how attitudes are slowly changing. A resident who isn’t part of the feeder group spotted an injured community cat and informed a member of the Managing Committee, who in turn alerted one of the volunteers. Within minutes, another feeder arrived with medication to tend to the animal. There was simply a shared understanding that an injured living being deserved help.
The Purrfect Little Community
Parminder Kaur echoes that sentiment with disarming simplicity: “Hatred can be contagious, but so can kindness. We all have to choose what comes naturally to us. I’m happy to see younger people joining this small initiative.”
“We’re not doing this to teach anyone a lesson in kindness or humanity,” says Seema Singh. “This is simply our calling. We do what we believe is right while trying our best not to create conflict or inconvenience for anyone.”
Community cats will always be part of our urban neighbourhoods, and differences of opinion around them are inevitable. Siciliaaa’s experience offers no perfect formula, but it does suggest that coexistence is possible when empathy is matched with responsibility, hygiene, dialogue, and respect for the law. Not every resident needs to become a community cat feeder. Sometimes, understanding and mutual respect are enough to make room for both people and animals.
The Siciliaa Model
• 11 community cats
• 100% sterilised and vaccinated
• 10–12 volunteer feeders
• Feeding away from children’s play areas
• Dry market-purchased packaged food
• WhatsApp coordination between feeders for emergencies
• Feeding points identified with PMC guidance
(Garima Mishra – Pune-based former journalist, founder of KavitaKAFE and Healing Verses, and a consulting writer-editor with Mann Deshi Foundation.)
