When Lesley Lewins arrived in Oman, she was horrified by the harsh reality facing the population of cats she loves so dearly.

A simple walk down the street sees her pass dozens of furry friends who have been abandoned and sharing bins for somewhere to sleep.

Meanwhile, she is greeted to a large number of dogs running free on a trip to the beach after being dumped by their owners.

It sad state of affairs was too much to handle for animal lover Lesley who devotes her time to feeding, getting life-saving treatment and rehoming the unwanted pets.

The 64-year-old moved to Oman's capital of Muscat from her Ryton home in 1992 with her husband, who found work in the Middle East.

Lesley says a lack of action from the government has led her to intervene and to date has trapped, neutered and released more than 8,000 cats in a bid to stop them from breeding and exacerbating the problem.

She said: "The streets are very clean but there are millions of bins with approximately 10 cats in each bin. It's a massive problem here.

"There are no shelters or support for them here which is why I started to get involved.

Cats are among the animals roaming free on the streets and living in bins
Cats are among the animals roaming free on the streets and living in bins

“I was told expats dumped their pets behind a long time ago and now they are all on the streets because they won't pay the costs to take them home.

“We don't have the Arabian Mau cat or Saluki dogs, we have European cats and feral dogs.

“It's haram (forbidden) here to neuter and dogs are classed as dirty. They do adopt now but they are kept outside in extreme heat and breed."

But Lesley says neutering is the only solution and faces an uphill battle solving the problem alone.

Lesley Lewins with her cats at her Muscat home
Lesley Lewins with her cats at her Muscat home

With crowdfunding also illegal in Oman, it means Lesley paying out of her own pocket or relying on friends kindly donating cash so she can help the vulnerable cats.

With animals running rampant on the streets, many people have resorted to poisoning and even shooting the creatures to get them out of the way.

She said: “I can't buy a trap here. I have to buy them in the UK which are £70.

"I have six but it's not enough when you lend them out and I need cat boxes big enough for recovery.

“The fashion these past years is Persian cats. They are bred in filthy conditions and sold on but when they become sick people throw them out as they won't pay vet bills.

"They shoot the dogs to cull but don't use the right bullets so they suffer and it’s horrific.

“No homes can be found here, everyone that loves animals are full.”

Lesley relies on the help of a number of European vets in Muscat who understand the situation and offer a discount for treatment, which does not come cheap.

Spaying is £50 for a female and £36 for a male with more complicated procedures such as eye removal and amputation costing up to £200.

Some cats are in need of medical treatment which does not come cheap
Some cats are in need of medical treatment which does not come cheap

She finds foster families from around the world who can take the cats she helps to ensure they can have a happy life. But it is a long process that many are not willing to wait for.

Lesley posts regularly on her Instagram account, which has attracted more than 1,700 followers who keep tabs on her activities with some coming forward to offer them a loving home from as far as the UK and Canada.

Lesley said: “UK travel is expensive and we are not rabies free so the blood test that goes to Europe is £200. Then there is a 90-day wait before they can leave so fostering is hard to find for four months down the line.

“I took nine cats to friends in New York to their forever homes and had many homes found in UK because of Instagram.

“I am lucky I don't work but devoted my time here trapping and finding homes.”

Lesley Lewins, originally from Ryton, traps, neuters and releases cats in Oman
Lesley Lewins, originally from Ryton, traps, neuters and releases cats in Oman

Lesley, who has six cats of her own, feels education is also desperately needed to combat the problem once and for all.

She said: “The children can be very cruel towards the animals here.

“Neutering and education is the only solution but it is hard.

“Kuwait Saudi Arabia are in the same situation with thousands suffering.”

Thousands of cats are on the streets of Muscat - the capital of Oman
Thousands of cats are on the streets of Muscat - the capital of Oman

The coronavirus outbreak has meant 16 cats in her care that are ready to be rehomed are having to wait to leave due to flights being cancelled to the UK.

But it’s not going to stop her continuing to help her furry friends on the street.

She said: “I hope the earth will heal and as humans we come out of this with more compassion for all living things .

“I will always do my best to help the street cats of Oman. It's been my home for many years and they gave me a life that made me feel I am making a difference one street at a time.”