Nalisa Mohabir, a school teacher of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara became an animal activist because she could not bear to see them suffer and currently shares her home with several cats that she has rescued.
She has helped countless others and is also caring for six dogs, five of which she rescued, a turtle as well as a talking parrot that has been in the family for many years.
She always loved animals but recalled that she began her rescue mission in 2012 when she saw a kitten crying desperately by the roadside.
She examined it and realized that its hip was broken and decided to take it home and care for it.
“My husband and I tied it up and got it mended. She is now eight-years-old,” she said. It was because of her husband’s unending support that caused her to selflessly be an angel to so many animals that are suffering.
She has so far rescued close to 200 animals, mainly cats and dogs “but I could not keep all of them.”
As for the turtle, she recalled how she ended up rescuing it after she learnt that a man who was supposed to buy it was planning to cook it.
“When I heard that I was shocked. I bought it from the other man (seller) instead… I actually bought the turtle’s freedom,” she told Stabroek News (SN).
Most of Mohabir’s salary would go towards taking care of the animals who she loves to refer to as “my babies.”
Although she has so many cats, she knows all of them by their names. She also ensures that they are “potty trained. I made a hole (in the house) for them to go out and come in whenever they want.
The cats are allowed to dwell in the house and also have their “own beds to sleep on.”
She keeps the dogs outside and feeds them rice with liver, which she cooks.
She shares some of that food in the afternoons with the cats but would feed them chow in the mornings, leaving enough in their bowls to last them throughout the day.
After she returns home from teaching she dedicates her time to caring for the pets and does not get tired of doing it.
In fact, her act of kindness towards animals does not stop there. She feeds four stray dogs at a shop in her area twice daily.
Even at school she has shown kindness towards animals and would inspire her students to do the same.
She also got animal activists to visit the school and speak to the children.
Mohabir also packs food every day to feed a dog that lives at the school.
Some of the students would help her and she allows them to pet the dog. It would also follow her to her classroom and sit at the back until she is finished teaching.
Being away from her pets all day is tough. She misses them dearly but feels lucky that her sister who lives nearby, helps to look over them.
One of the cats, which she got from Leguan was apparently injured in one eye and was unable to see.
She took it to the vet and was told it would remain blind in the eye. But she was not prepared to settle for that and got the cat to see again.
“I brought it home and cleaned it (eye) every day with warm water and salt and gave it the antibiotic and the eye started to open by itself.”
She will be taking the cat along with another one that is blind in one eye to be spayed and neutered.
In the beginning, Mohabir “did not know that the cats can have surgeries to not have babies.”
She recalled that she “would empty a wardrobe drawer when it is time for them to give birth.”
Unable to take care of them and not having the money to take them to the vet, some of the kittens ended up dying.
Rosewood Foundation
Eventually, she got connected with an animal rescue group, Rosewood Foundation and started giving up some of the animals that she rescued.
She also recognized the help she gets from members of Paws for a Cause and other animal activists: Syeada Manbodh, Noreen Gaskin, Shari Rodrigues, businesswoman, Andrea Rahaman and others who have donated chow, as well as Dr. Nardeo Bassoodeo for his good work.
Her love for animals started while growing up with her aunt in Leguan. “She used to mind a lot of cats and that’s how I got to like cats so much,” Mohabir told SN.
After completing school in Leguan, she moved to Essequibo to pursue computer courses.
Her grandfather recognized certain potentials and encouraged her to get enrolled in the teacher’s college.
He was proud that she had “lived his dream” and would proudly tell everyone: “my granddaughter is a teacher.”
Meanwhile, Mohabir encouraged everyone to be kind to animals and to speak out against cruelty.
She recalled witnessing two men on a donkey cart that was laden with heavy metal.
The donkey could hardly move and was dragging its feet and one of the men was beating it to go faster. She could not bear to see that and upbraided them for being so cruel. She also took pictures of what was happening.
Mohabir also wanted to clear up a misconception about black cats.
She said they “are not evil, they are loving and make great companions just as other cats.”
Being an animal activist, she said, is the best thing she has ever done and she would not change it for the world.
