A one-of-a-kind sanctuary was opened in Shanghai recently, marking a major breakthrough in efforts by local organizations to control the stray animal population in the city.

Called the Stray Cat Management Center and Stray Animal Education Demonstration Base, the facility on Yulan Road in Shanghai Pudong New Area's Laogang town is a massive 2-hectare haven for strays that comes with an 800-square-meter Cat Island filled with cats that are ready for adoption.

A joint venture by several social organizations, the facility also offers public welfare activities and educational programs aimed at helping the public learn more about topics like the feeding of strays, disease prevention and control, and basic knowledge of the Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) process.

According to Zha Zhenliang, the manager of the city's stray cat management program, TNR is one of the essential elements of cat rescues as well as an important part of the community management of the animal. He explained that cats become tamer after they are neutered, and this in turn reduces the likelihood that they would be abused by humans.

Anyone can bring stray cats they find to the base. All strays will be subjected to a seven-day quarantine and a series of examinations before they are released in the Cat Island, a zone specifically designed for felines that is surrounded by a river. Six cats have been adopted by the base to date.

Zheng Zheng contributed to this story.