With these concerns in mind, a group of students from the university banded together to form Bento Animal Rescue. The name of the group can be attributed to the fact that most of the campus cats are named after food, such as Cookie, Nugget, Muffin and Cheese.
Since its founding in 2017, over 150 cats, 60 dogs, and a handful of hedgehogs, sugar gliders and – oddly enough – hamsters have been rescued by the group.
Former leader Areen Aslam tells FMT that Bento started with a small group of students who were concerned for the welfare of the cats on the university grounds. Bento now consists of 200 local and international students who look out for all animals on campus.
“In 2018, things escalated and we nearly had 20 kittens born in a month,” Areen recalls. “This caused issues with cleanliness due to people leaving food for them, so we decided to look after the kittens and have their mothers sterilised.”
Bento strongly advocates a policy of trap-neuter-release (TNR), where stray animals are desexed before being let go into a safe environment.
“One unsterilised female cat can have 18 kittens a year. These kittens can be sexually active as young as four months old,” Areen says.
“In eight years, from that one unsterilised cat, there can be a little over two million descendants.”
Bento recommends that all pet owners neuter their pets to prevent unwanted breeding.
With these neutered cats left to continue living on campus, Bento ensures the number of strays is controlled in the area.
“When you remove a cat or dog, you make space for a new one to take its place, especially since the perimeter is not secure,” Areen explains.
Therefore, she says, having tame animals on campus keeps newcomers at bay, while a sterilised and healthy population is better than letting in new animals that might potentially carry diseases.
It’s a dog’s life
While the group largely works with cats, the odd dog sometimes makes its way into the members’ hearts. Currently, Mr Pants holds that coveted position.
Areen describes the black pooch as sweet, affectionate, playful and clever. He has the complete adoration of humans and is willing to follow them everywhere.
Mr Pants first appeared on campus in November 2019 and was found to have minor injuries and a fungal infection. He was taken in by a student and nursed back to health.
The student would later name him Mr Pumpernickel Spaghetti Pants, or Mr Pants for short – although he’s called Captain Underpants when he misbehaves.
“He enjoys going on walks and playing games, especially hide and seek, but he’s equally at home laying down at your feet and snoozing for hours,” Areen says.
Mr Pants is up for adoption and is suited to someone who is willing to take him for long walks or just watch Netflix at home.
Areen also notes that Mr Pants is good with children and other pets, making him the perfect family dog.
Help needed
The pandemic has made feeding the animals more difficult as there are only a few students on campus. Bento is also short on funds, as well as people who are willing to foster the animals.
“We would like the public to think about whether they are able to become fosters,” Areen says, adding that if anyone is interested in temporarily looking after a cat but does not have experience, Bento’s members are more than willing to provide advice.
Monetary donations are also welcome. Contributions will go towards feeding the campus cats and ensuring their continued wellbeing.
“Our hope is that TNR becomes a more common and widely utilised programme in Malaysia,” she adds. “We would like to go one month without finding an injured, pregnant or abandoned animal.”
Follow Bento on Instagram and Facebook. For more information, contact their CEO Eunice at 0111-6940793.
Monetary donations can be made via Bento’s finance director, Lim Zhen Wen (Maybank 1514 2726 0229).