‘Individuals have instructed we’re stealing Cyprus’ cats, and promoting them to foreigners for 1000’s of kilos!’
When Cyprus’ cats are within the information, it’s normally Not Good. Search Google information for ‘cats’ and ‘Cyprus’, and also you get a slew of poisonings, abuse, and contentious legal guidelines, together with studies on cat Covid and outbreaks of illness.
Maybe the oddest story is of 1 anonymous resident who cast import certificates for cats. Not that the forgery was notably weird. However importing cats to Cyprus? Certainly that’s coals to Newcastle?!
“It actually is!” exclaims Sussex-based Ashley Hunter, who’s actively working to scale back, rehome, and rehabilitate the island’s strays. “Cyprus is already ‘The Island of Cats’! Any vacationer place you go to – inns or eating places or bars – there they’re. We don’t want extra!”
Regardless of the cat glut, nearly all of guests heat to our strays. They grow to be connected and, as their vacation attracts to an finish, they fear concerning the destiny of their favorite felines.
“It’s precisely what occurred to me,” says 36-year-old Ashley, who visited Protaras in April 2022 on a women’ vacation. “I got here out for what was merely per week’s escape to a stunning island.”
However right here’s the distinction. Ashley got here again. A number of occasions. And she or he’s since launched a novel Fb group that sees locals and vacationers working collectively to assist the cats of Cyprus…
“There’s little governmental help for these cats – and the legal guidelines surrounding public feeding areas are messy and complicated,” says Ashley. “So it’s volunteers who’ve grow to be the mainstay of Cyprus’ cat rescue efforts.”
Ashley speaks in depth concerning the challenges confronted by Cyprus’ stray cat inhabitants, and references the island’s Entice Neuter Launch scheme. She’s approached governmental and non-governmental organisations, visited cat colonies all around the island and, as of Could 2022, launched Challenge Paw…
An organisation that helps the cats of Cyprus, their rescuers, and the vacationers who wish to assist their newfound feline associates, Challenge Paw raises consciousness of the plight of the island’s stray cats. It fundraises for emergency circumstances. It offers info on subjects resembling TNR. And it leverages an area community: supporting island rescuers with cash, meals and drugs.”
Extra lately, it’s additionally began working with airways to rehome cats overseas – a scheme that’s widespread with Cyprus’ canine shelters, however uncommon for cats.
“Cats naturally gravitate in the direction of sources of meals and shelter,” Ashley explains. “And on the coast, that normally means vacationer areas – inns and bars and eating places.
“Guests befriend the cats, publish movies of their favourites, and fear what is going to occur in winter when the vacationer locations merely shut up store. So that they typically begin wanting into rescuing a particular animal, taking it house with them. That’s one thing we assist with.”
This can be a distinctive answer to the abundance of strays – even when, Ashley admits, it’s a fraction of what’s wanted. However, as with every animal rescue effort, it’s not with out its detractors.
“Individuals have instructed that we’re ‘stealing Cyprus’ cats, and promoting them to foreigners for 1000’s of kilos’!” Ashley exclaims. “That one at all times cracks me up. Others have mentioned that rehoming or advocating for TNR schemes means the island will run out of cats. And nonetheless extra indicate that cats ought to be capable of fend for themselves.”
“At a Ashley and Angelo, who was discovered cowering in the midst of the freeway Cyprus has in extra of two million stray cats; it’s extra more likely to run out of air earlier than it runs out of cats!” she admits. “And I can categorically state that no person is making a living off this; Challenge Paw is a charitable effort, and every part goes to assist the animals in want. Plus, cats can not merely ‘fend for themselves’ in the event that they’re affected by a extreme an infection, or their leg is hanging off, or they’re too weak to hunt – all issues our native rescue community offers with on an nearly day by day foundation!”
Past elevating consciousness, fundraising, and rehoming, Challenge Paw has simply launched a brand new scheme: donation stations.
“There are numerous rescuers spending their very own money and time to look after cat colonies, and lots of vacationers who wish to assist however don’t know the way. What we’re doing is connecting the 2: creating donation stations at varied native companies the place guests can drop off objects resembling meals or medicines, toys or treats for rescuers to gather.”
This scheme advantages each rescuers and native companies, Ashley explains. Rescuers have entry to much-needed provides, whereas vacationers buying objects are spending cash throughout the native economic system.
Already Challenge Paw has arrange donation stations at Mojito Bar & Grill and Simple Divers, each in Pernera. In Protaras, there’s Reef Junkies; Paralimni has Auras Workshop; and Ayia Napa has Tommy’s Pub. Additional afield, there may be the Pissouri Bay Café, the Limassol Samaritans Store, and Kaimakli’s Swaraki Barbershop.
“We’ve additionally approached numerous inns,” says Ashley. “However none have but proven curiosity: we’ve been totally ignored, although all we’re asking for is to arrange a easy donation station alongside info on how vacationers might help.
“It’s baffling to me: companies that host a donation station are actively demonstrating their dedication to a significant trigger, and this resonates very positively with their shoppers and prospects. Who wouldn’t need that?”
There are actually days, she concludes, when all of this appears like an uphill battle.
“In September, we had been notified about an deserted kitten caught in a vacationer automobile. Final week, we heard a couple of cat with a damaged leg, thrown from a automobile into the center of the Paralimni highway. And solely yesterday, a litter of five-week-old kittens was discovered deserted in a bag on the outskirts of Ayia Napa.”
In every case, Challenge Paw mobilised its rescuers, and the cats in query are actually being properly cared for.
“However not each story has such a contented ending,” Ashley admits. “For each animal we save, numerous others are left behind. Maybe Cyprus can be higher named ‘The Island That Forgot its Cats’?”
To seek out out extra, assist, or donate, please go to the Fb web page ‘Challenge Paw’