By Karen Bong
KUCHING, March 8: The Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) is planning an anti-rabies vaccination programme for cats in response to the increasing number of rabies-positive cases among felines in Sarawak.
SSPCA president Datin Dona Drury-Wee revealed that discussions are ongoing with vaccine supplier Boehringer Ingelheim, and they are in the final stages of securing a vaccine donation for SSPCA.
“We are looking to collaborate on mass vaccination initiatives, such as the upcoming drive by Kuching South City Council (MBKS) in April. Hopefully, we can set up a programme to offer vaccinations for cats then,” she said during MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng’s ShallWeeTalk live session today.
SSPCA is also engaging with other local authorities, including the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP), Kuching North City Commission (DBKU), and Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS), to expand the initiative.
“Once everything is finalised, we will release details to the media regarding the availability of the vaccine for cats,” she added.
Welcoming the initiative, Wee expressed hope it could be incorporated into the upcoming mass vaccination drive scheduled on April 12 at MBKS’ Community Hall in Jalan Padungan.
Dona explained that the anti-rabies vaccine for cats is the same as that used for dogs.
Internationally, vaccination efforts primarily target dogs, as they are the main rabies hosts. Dog bites pose a higher risk due to their severity, making transmission faster and more widespread.
“Cats contract rabies from infected dogs. In Sarawak, where dogs and cats often coexist harmoniously, we see a significant number of rabies cases in cats. If we can control rabies in dogs, the incidence among cats will naturally decline,” she said.
Budget constraints remain a challenge in conducting mass vaccinations for both dogs and cats. However, when public mass vaccination drives began in 2017 in collaboration with the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Sarawak, both species were included, with a separate area designated for cats.
“It was quite challenging because cats are more prone to panic—they can jump, run off quickly, and are difficult to catch. Some even escaped during past vaccination drives, making it harder to manage,” she explained.
SSPCA continues to work towards a feasible solution to ensure the safety of both cats and dogs in Sarawak through targeted rabies prevention efforts. — DayakDaily
