India's cats face drastic measures

CATS that live in India's parliament are being sterilised after two of them frolicked in front of the president during his televised opening address recently.

MPs in the coalition government, facing an uncertain future, consider cats inauspicious and are calling for their immediate removal.

About 12 cats have been living in Parliament House, existing on food stolen from its canteen.

An animal welfare group has so far trapped two of them for sterilisation but plans to release them back in the building because they help to keep down rats.

The cats are not the only problem. Scores of monkeys also live in Parliament House and in adjoining offices, including the prime minister's secretariat, frequently terrorising officials and destroying files.

But any attempt to remove them is blocked by Hindus, who revere their connection with the god Hanuman.