The island that forgot its cats

‘People have suggested we’re stealing Cyprus’ cats, and selling them to foreigners for thousands of pounds!’

When Cyprus’ cats are in the news, it’s usually Not Good. Search Google news for ‘cats’ and ‘Cyprus’, and you get a slew of poisonings, abuse, and contentious laws, along with reports on cat Covid and outbreaks of disease.

Perhaps the oddest story is of one nameless resident who forged import certificates for cats. Not that the forgery was particularly bizarre. But importing cats to Cyprus? Surely that’s coals to Newcastle?!

“It certainly is!” exclaims Sussex-based Ashley Hunter, who’s actively working to reduce, rehome, and rehabilitate the island’s strays. “Cyprus is already ‘The Island of Cats’! Any tourist place you go to – hotels or restaurants or bars – there they are. We don’t need more!”

Despite the cat glut, the majority of visitors warm to our strays. They become attached and, as their holiday draws to an end, they worry about the fate of their favourite felines.

“It’s exactly what happened to me,” says 36-year-old Ashley, who visited Protaras in April 2022 on a girls’ holiday. “I came out for what was simply a week’s escape to a gorgeous island.”

But here’s the difference. Ashley came back. Several times. And she’s since launched a unique Facebook group that sees locals and tourists working together to help the cats of Cyprus…

“There’s little governmental support for these cats – and the laws surrounding public feeding areas are messy and confusing,” says Ashley. “So it’s volunteers who have become the mainstay of Cyprus’ cat rescue efforts.”

Ashley speaks in depth about the challenges faced by Cyprus’ stray cat population, and references the island’s Trap Neuter Release scheme. She’s approached governmental and non-governmental organisations, visited cat colonies all over the island and, as of May 2022, launched Project Paw…

An organisation that supports the cats of Cyprus, their rescuers, and the tourists who want to help their newfound feline friends, Project Paw raises awareness of the plight of the island’s stray cats. It fundraises for emergency cases. It provides information on topics such as TNR. And it leverages a local network: supporting island rescuers with money, food and medicine.”

More recently, it’s also started working with airlines to rehome cats abroad – a scheme that’s common with Cyprus’ dog shelters, but unusual for cats.

“Cats naturally gravitate towards sources of food and shelter,” Ashley explains. “And on the coast, that usually means tourist locations – hotels and bars and restaurants.

“Visitors befriend the cats, post videos of their favourites, and worry what will happen in winter when the tourist places simply close up shop. So they often start looking into rescuing a specific animal, taking it home with them. That’s something we help with.”

This is a unique solution to the abundance of strays – even if, Ashley admits, it’s a fraction of what is needed. But, as with any animal rescue effort, it’s not without its detractors.

“People have suggested that we’re ‘stealing Cyprus’ cats, and selling them to foreigners for thousands of pounds’!” Ashley exclaims. “That one always cracks me up. Others have said that rehoming or advocating for TNR schemes means the island will run out of cats. And still more imply that cats should be able to fend for themselves.

“At a conservative estimate, Cyprus has in excess of 2 million stray cats; it’s more likely to run out of air before it runs out of cats!” she admits. it’s more likely to run out of air before it runs out of cats!” she admits. “And I can categorically state that nobody is making money off this; Project Paw is a charitable effort, and everything goes to help the animals in need. Plus, cats cannot simply ‘fend for themselves’ if they’re suffering from a severe infection, or their leg is hanging off, or they’re too weak to hunt – all things our local rescue network deals with on an almost daily basis!”

Beyond raising awareness, fundraising, and rehoming, Project Paw has just launched a new scheme: donation stations.

“There are countless rescuers spending their own time and money to care for cat colonies, and many tourists who want to help but don’t know how. What we’re doing is connecting the two: creating donation stations at various local businesses where visitors can drop off items such as food or medicines, toys or treats for rescuers to collect.”

This scheme benefits both rescuers and local businesses, Ashley explains. Rescuers have access to much-needed supplies, while tourists purchasing items are spending money within the local economy.

Already Project Paw has set up donation stations at Mojito Bar & Grill and Easy Divers, both in Pernera. In Protaras, there’s Reef Junkies; Paralimni has Auras Workshop; and Ayia Napa has Tommy’s Pub. Further afield, there is the Pissouri Bay Café, the Limassol Samaritans Shop, and Kaimakli’s Swaraki Barbershop.

“We’ve also approached a number of hotels,” says Ashley. “But none have yet shown interest: we’ve been utterly ignored, even though all we’re asking for is to set up a simple donation station alongside information on how tourists can help.

“It’s baffling to me: businesses that host a donation station are actively demonstrating their commitment to a meaningful cause, and this resonates very positively with their clients and customers. Who wouldn’t want that?”

There are certainly days, she concludes, when all of this feels like an uphill battle.

“In September, we were notified about an abandoned kitten stuck in a tourist car. Last week, we heard about a cat with a broken leg, thrown from a car into the middle of the Paralimni road. And only yesterday, a litter of five-week-old kittens was found abandoned in a bag on the outskirts of Ayia Napa.”

In each case, Project Paw mobilised its rescuers, and the cats in question are now being well cared for.

“But not every story has such a happy ending,” Ashley admits. “For every animal we save, countless others are left behind. Perhaps Cyprus would be better named ‘The Island That Forgot its Cats’?”

To find out more, help, or donate, please visit the Facebook page ‘Project Paw’