Cyprus is famous for its plentiful four-legged resident cats. With more cats than humans in Cyprus, the feline population is out of control, with estimates putting the number of stray cats on the island at 1.5 million, while the number of people is only 1.2 million.
The city of Limassol, too, is full of stray cats.
"If you have not walked the streets of Limassol yet, then you should. You will see a lot of homeless cats there. They live and sleep anywhere, attracting the gaze of many people who pass by," says photographer Yuko. "Cats in Limassol are something special. They are everywhere, and they are all different. Each has its own life and its corner in this world."
Why are there so many cats in Cyprus?
A contradictory legend claims Cleopatra, Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, brought the cats to exterminate snakes.
However, the earliest known archaeological evidence of a house cat on the Mediterranean island goes back to 7,500 BC, with a human and a cat buried in the same grave.
Unfortunately, the majority of Cypriots attach little value to their cats. They are usually not regarded as pets and are considered vermin (much like rats). For shopkeepers and hotel managers, their presence is a nuisance. As such, many people in Cyprus refuse to take care of stray cats. Several animals are malnourished and wounded.
Luckily, things are slowly shifting...
In recent years, the state had set aside 75,000 euros annually for cat sterilizations, but that funding has been dramatically sliced due to the economic crisis.
Following the government sterilization program, countless cat feeding stations are being established all over the island of Cyprus, and many towns now have one or more volunteers who feed and look after the local strays, oftentimes with their own resources.
Malcolm Cat Protection Society
Malcolm Cat Protection Society near Limassol – named after its founder Malcolm C. P. Stevenson – is probably the most mediatized of the cat rescue organizations in Cyprus, and it has become the island's main tourist attraction.
The sanctuary is free to visit, and you can easily spend an hour and a half in the company of the approximately 200 cats, most of which are affectionate and well-behaved.
It is a safe shelter for the cats, with an outdoor area to play in, and they are taken care of twice daily by volunteers who also give them love and attention.
The Tala Monastery Cat Park
In the small village of Tala in Paphos, you can also visit The Tala Monastery Cat Park, which cares for nearly 1,000 stray cats.
Cyprus Cats
Cyprus Cats is another important cat sanctuary.
Their mission is to make the homeless cat population of Cyprus healthier and happier by providing fresh food and water and bringing seriously ill or injured cats to a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.
Cyprus Cats also fosters cats and kittens who need time off the streets to grow or recover, and they spay and neuter ferals to prevent the homeless cat population from multiplying even more. They seek suitable homes for those cats ready for a life off the streets.
How to help the stray cats of Limassol and Cyprus?
You, too, can help the stray cats of Cyprus.
The obvious option is to donate a small amount to one or more cat sanctuaries in Cyprus. A donation of only $25 can save a cat's life as it can help provide medical treatment and food. Some organizations (such as The Tala Monastery Cat Park) offer sponsorship programs for specific cats.
You can also order cat food for the shelter cats straight from the Cyprus Cats website.
Malcolm Cat Protection Society also offers to purchase cat calendars and homemade Christmas cards that feature the cats of the sanctuary. Revenue from these calendars and Christmas cards will go directly to the cats – a welcoming extra since Malcolm Cat Protection Society's volunteers find abandoned cats and kittens dumped outside the fence nearly daily.
How to adopt a cat in Cyprus?
Have you ever thought of giving a stray cat from Cyprus a forever home?
Cat sanctuaries like Cyprus Cats, The Tala Monastery Cat Park, and Malcolm Cat Protection Society regularly have cats needing a new home.
You can even adopt these stray cats from your own country; the sanctuaries will organize travel and paperwork for cats leaving the country.
What do you think of the cats of Limassol, Cyprus? Aren't they cute?
Would you sponsor a Cypriot cat, or maybe even adopt one?
Text by Vanessa Morgan
