[23/6/2023] Sanata Dharma – A brand-new nonprofit community named Kucing Sadhar has been formed to preserve and improve the welfare of cats inside the Sanata Dharma campus, spanning from campuses 1 through 5. This community has been developed to address the concerns of Mr. Harris Setiajid, the founder, who noticed the dilapidated condition of cats on campus and has a strong interest in animal welfare.
Kucing Sadhar’s activities are carried out by two divisions: street-feeders and well-being. The main goal of the street-feeders division is to regularly feed the cats found on campus. This crew actively engages in street feeding activities and identifies these cats by giving them collars and names. On the other hand, the well-being division prioritizes the health of ill cats by arranging for their transportation to the closest animal hospital and carrying out sterilization procedures.
Kucing Sadhar has come a long way since its founding. In order to get advice and experience for their work, the organization has already established committees and held meetings with members of the Universitas Gadjah Mada’s cat rescue community. They have also been effective in saving cats and facilitating open adoptions to place them in loving homes.
Kucing Sadhar has planned a number of initiatives to inform the public about cats and cat care in the future. Their upcoming project includes producing educational material on Instagram, covering subjects such as correct cat feeding methods and the first actions to take when coming across a sick cat. Kucing Sadhar aims to promote ethical cat ownership and reach a larger audience through social media.
The leader of the Kucing Sadhar community, Anya Keisha Natalie, is eager about continuing to produce learning materials on cat welfare. “The community’s objective is motivating people to actively take part in enhancing animal care, both on campus and in the larger community. Through our outreach programs, the Sadhar’s Cat Community hopes to have a long-lasting influence on how people view and treat animals,” she said.
The Kucing Sadhar community wants to inspire people to act on improving the welfare of animals by educating and encouraging them to share their knowledge and views. The community is dedicated to extending its educational activities outside of the campus, realizing the need to do so.
The community does, however, face certain difficulties, with member commitment being a major concern. The people that make up the Kucing Sadhar community must continue to be committed and diligent in their work because it is a non-profit organization. Anya Keisha Natalie emphasizes the value of maintaining a steadfast dedication to the cause in order to make sure that the community’s objectives and activities can be successfully sustained.
Furthermore, according to Jessica Ninda Kalistya Putri, a member and the social media editor for Kucing Sadhar, the student’s awareness of cats has increased significantly. “As for the impact, I saw there were some students feeding stray cats in the Realino Field.” In addition, Anya said, “We don’t want to affect just the members of the community, but also all students of the Sanata Dharma Campus through our Instagram account.” She then added, “Knowing the existence of the cats in Sanata Dharma Campus is fair enough for us.”
As a member of the Kucing Sadhar community, Jessica stated, “I like cats, for sure, but I have become a member of this community. Therefore, I have to be responsible with my job description to take care of the cats, especially for some challenges I face in this community.”
Lastly, Anya and Jessica hope that through this community, the awareness of the cats, especially for the stray cats can grow within the members and the students. In addition, they also hope that the well-being of the cats can be maintained and students and cats can coexist together.
Journalist: Erica Rafaella
Editor: Nanda Pratama Putera Tomasila & Ruth Tirza Arina (QC)
Reporter: Dulce Cicilia Sariri