Cats stranded & seeking rescue after M'sia hit by 'worst floods in history'

Malaysia is experiencing its worst flood disaster in a decade.

Amidst the destruction of property and disruption to daily life, some residents are going about the floodwaters to ensure the cats are okay.

Catastrophe

Record floods over the past week in the Malaysian states of Kelantan and Terengganu have displaced over 130,000 people and caused three deaths so far.

The floods have caused significant damage, even carrying off local landmarks.

But worries are mounting over the affected area's pets, some of whom have been abandoned in homes as families were forced to evacuate.

WeirdKaya reports on a viral TikTok video by user Azna Nordin, who has compiled videos of himself travelling through flood-hit areas, rescuing stranded cats.

@aznanordin🐈‍⬛BANTU KAMI SHARE VIDEO NI, SEMOGA ADA YG PRIHATIN DAN BANTU MEREKA♬ Lagu Sedih Menyentuh - Sihon oye

The video starts off with a clip of three cats, all with collars indicating they are owned, standing in a large plastic tub, bobbing about in the water, looking for rescue.

Other clips show cats in all manner of difficult situations, including trapped in shop grills, waiting for the waters to subside, or for humans to get them.

Azna spoke to WeirdKaya, saying that not all the footage was his, but was a compilation of videos about the impact of the floods, and was also able to confirm that the cats shown had been rescued.

Azna has put together several such videos, including that of an elderly woman being evacuated while sitting in a tub, clutching her precious pet tightly.

@aznanordin❤️TERIMA KASIH ORG BAIK♬ Allahhuakbar - TwOOne band

Another shows a cat calmly looking out a window while waiting for rescue.

@ahmad26_6 Suka duka banjir 2024 #kelantanviral #Banjir ♬ son original - Cat’slife

Shelter from the storm

The New Straits Times reported on a similarly dire situation at a cat shelter in Kota Bahru where some 400 cats were stranded in flood waters.

The shelter is operated by Khairul Nizam Mohd Arifin, who took in the stray and abandoned cats and was forced to relocate them in the face of rising waters.

@aznanordin Doakan mereka, bantu mereka. 🔥MEREKA MINTA BANTUAN BOT UNTUK PINDAHKAN KUCING TEMPAT YG LEBIH SELAMAT. Keadaan terkini di rumah prihatin, Tok Uban, Pasir Mas. Pasir Mas antara negeri yang terjejas banjir teruk @rumahprihatin ♬ suara asli - Allginanjar - allginanjar

He moved about 200 of the cats to a nearby abandoned building, with the rest being moved to the shelter's ceiling for the time being.

Khairul Nizam travels 20km a day from his home to the shelter, which includes swimming 300m, to ensure that the cats are safe and to feed them.

However, he has since been given the use of a boat.

While the cats are safe for now, Khairul Nizam is fearful that the cat shelter's food supply was damaged by the floods, and will only last a few more days.

Worst in history

This flood season has been described by the Kelantan police chief Mohd Yusoff Mamat as "the worst in history" according to The Star.

The chief expressed fears, saying it was "just the first round of floods and it is already like this".

Flood victims have been placed at relief centres since Nov. 25, with over 87,000 in Kelantan alone, with reports reaching over 130,000 affected victims nationwide.

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Top image via @aznanordin/Tiktok