Alarm in Cyprus, the «island of cats»: there are already thousands of these felines on the streets

The island of cats has a problem with these emblematic animals.

Authorities in Cyprus, the small island nation in the eastern corner of the Mediterranean, estimate that there is approximately one wild cat for every one of its inhabitants, although activists maintain that the actual population is hundreds of thousands more.

In late September, the island’s parliamentary environment committee was told that the existing sterilization program is too limited to contain the growing population of the animals.

The existing sterilization program is too limited (AP).

“It’s a good program, but it needs to be expanded,” said Environment Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou, noting that the program does only a few 2,000 sterilizations per yearwith a budget of just 100,000 euros ($117,000).

Although there is no official comparative data, Theodosiou said Cyprus has gained a reputation for having an exceptionally large cat population relative to its human inhabitants.

Change could be on the way, but funding alone will not solve Cyprus’ cat problem.

Apparently heeding calls for more funding, Environment Minister Maria Panayiotou announced on October 4 (World Animal Day) that the government would increase funding for cat sterilization to 300,000 euros per year. The decision was hailed as a major breakthrough.

However, Charalambos Theopemptou, chairman of the Parliamentary Environment Committee, warned against relying on money alone. “There has to be a plan,” he said. “We can’t just go ahead with sterilizations without having a plan,” he said.

Given the predatory nature of cats, a large population not only has the potential to wreak havoc on the island’s ecosystem, but could cause unnecessary suffering to the wild cats roaming the car-clogged streets. in search of food and shelter.

Alarm in Cyprus, the «island of cats»: there are already thousands of these felines on the streets (AP).

Cyprus has a long history as a cat loving nationwhere food dispensers and groups of small houses for these animals are a common image on the popular trails.

Two decades ago, French archaeologists unearthed what they believe is the oldest evidence of a domesticated cat in a 9,500-year-old Neolithic village. They found the bones of a feline near the skeleton of a human being, which suggests that They were buried together.

Adding to this long history of connection between humans and felines is the 4th century legend of Saint Helena who, after finding the True Cross in the Holy Land, took a couple boatloads of cats to deal with a plague of snakes. The monastery of San Nicolás de los Gatos, which serves as a safe haven for the felines, continues to exist to this day.

With tourism a key economic driver for Cyprus, the island’s cats have become a major attraction for the millions of tourists who travel to the island each year. It is common to see well-fed felines, often enjoying leftovers provided by diners at the multitude of restaurants where they like to hang out.

Demetris Epaminondas, president of the Veterinary Association, attributes the population explosion to uncontrolled reproduction, particularly in highly concentrated urban areas, since there are more offspring surviving after birth, thanks to ordinary people who offer them care.

The current program, run by the government, distributes its budget to municipalities, which in turn fund private veterinarians to sterilize cats brought in by animal conservation groups.

Cats wander the streets crowded with cars in search of food and shelter (AP).

The authorities recognize that the program is ineffective.

There is a solution

The country’s state Veterinary Services, which is in charge of sterilizations, admitted that the program’s capabilities are «less than the real need.» To reassess where available funding could be redistributed, it has asked local government authorities to submit reports on locations with large concentrations of feral cats.

Elias Demetriou, who runs the private Larnaca Cat Friends Sanctuary, said tripling funding for sterilization will not have the desired effect unless conservation groups are recruited that have the knowledge to round up cats to be sterilized.

Eleni Loizidou, head of Cat Alert, a voluntary organization that cares for stray cats in Nicosia, said her organization’s recent efforts to gather 397 wild cats from the city center were just a drop in the ocean, and that very few females are being sterilized, in part, due to the difficulty it represents catch wild cats.

Epaminondas, the president of the Veterinary Association, said Cyprus’ cat population can be controlled in just four years. This would be possible, he said, if authorities put together a unified sterilization plan that puts private clinics at the forefront of the effort by offering free sterilizations without all the bureaucracy that complicates the process.

“People will be more motivated to sterilize cats if we make the process easier for them,” he said.

It is common to see well-fed felines, often enjoying the leftovers provided by diners (AP).

Their association proposed a plan that would identify the main cat concentration centers where authorities can gather them and take them to be sterilized by designated veterinarians. The initiative includes the creation of a smartphone application that would allow anyone to help authorities locate these large concentrations of cats.

The state can avoid bearing the full cost of the program by establishing a fund where individuals and businesses can donate, according to Epaminondas. The minister’s announcement about tripling the sterilization budget, he said, could act as a major incentive to attract more corporate donations.

The cost of sterilizing a feral cat in Cyprus is 55 euros (64 dollars)which increases to 120 euros for domesticated cats introduced by their owners, as they receive more specialized care.

Theodosiou, the environment commissioner, said her staff has been working on a long-term strategy that would bring together the government, conservationists and volunteers to establish an accurate count of the cat population and pave the way for a mass sterilization program. The plan would also legalize private cat sanctuaries.

“There are solutions,” said Loizidou, the head of Cat Alert.

AP Agency.

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