Ludhiana, Dec. 17 -- Even as Ludhiana has witnessed over a six-fold rise in cat bite cases between 2019 and 2025, the municipal corporation has no programme in place for the sterilisation or vaccination of stray cats, raising concerns among health officials and residents.

Official data show that cat bite cases have increased sharply over the years, with numbers more than doubling in the last two years alone. While 121 cases were reported in 2019, the figure stood at 111 in 2020 and dropped to 80 in 2021. However, cases rose to 198 in 2022 and further increased to 276 in 2023. In 2024, the number climbed to 415, and this year, till October, as many as 732 cat bite cases have already been recorded.

Senior medical officer at civil hospital...