Our trip started out with lots of things to do with Darren’s beekeeping, and it has slowly changed to having lots of things to do with cats!
This is a Cyprus cat – yep, Cyprus has its own breed! Our name for this one is Jay Leno since he has a little white patch on his back (under where Darren’s hand is.)
We have enjoyed our time here in Pernera, Cyprus. There are a lot of cats here. There are actually too many cats. It is estimated that there are 2 million cats in Cyprus. That is a lot of cats for an island country that only has a population of 1 million people! Cyprus also has issues with animal cruelty. Animals who are seen as pests are sometimes poisoned, and sometimes treated badly.
This was a cold and windy day when we first arrived and all the cats huddled together for warmth.
I love the eyes on this one!
When Darren and I saw how many cats there were along the sea front in Protaras, Cyprus, we wanted to do something to help. Unlike the cat colony near our rented apartment in Torremolinos, Spain, where most of the cats had been spayed or neutered, there were fewer cats that we were seeing here in Protaras that had their ear marked to indicate that they had been fixed.
Love the ears on this cat.
These two are kittens…
I did a quick search online to find out who was working with the local feral cat populations and came across a project called the Famagusta Cat Care Project. (If you read my previous post about the Ghost Town of Famagusta, you may be wondering about the name. In addition to being the name of a city, Famagusta is also the name of one of the 6 districts of Cyprus, and where we’re staying is in the Famagusta District.)
Famagusta Cat Care Project was founded and is run by Lynn Gandy and a small group of volunteers. They feed some of the cat colonies in the region and also try to keep the cats healthy by getting them to the vet if there is a serious issue. They also help to re-home the stray cats to homes within Cyprus, and also in the UK and Europe. But the main goal of the project is to trap the feral cats and have them spayed or neutered, as this is the only way to control the population. The fixed cats are then returned to their colony.
Kitties lined up for some lovin’.
This little gal is one of my favorites. We’ve named her Bebé (baby in Spanish).
Lynn and her group are working with some of the local hotels to create a program where there are feeding stations, so the guests can enjoy the cats, and at the same time to get all of the cats in the area of the hotel spayed or neutered. This is a big job, and as you can imagine, it takes time and funding.
GrumpyCat on the left, PuffBall on the right. Yep, most of this kitties we would see regularly got names!
During the busy tourist season, a lot of people are around and feeding the stray cats. However, in the off season, there are fewer people, but still a lot of cats that need food and care.
Sylvester! See that spunkiness in those eyes? Yep, this looks like trouble!
In addition to Lynn’s project, there are several individuals who live in these resort areas of Cyprus year round and feed the cats as well. (Shout out to Rob, great to meet you and Hayley! 🙂 )
Another cold day on the sea front, and this gal was all curled up by this plant trying to keep warm.
In addition to hanging out with the cats and giving them some love, Darren and I are helping Lynn with her project. Famagusta Cat Care Project has a Facebook page you can “like” to follow Lynn’s progress (Famagusta Cat Care Project.) Please like and share her page, and this post.
PuffBall again. He’s a favorite! He’s so curious, and has to be in the middle of whatever is going on.
This is Gray, also known as Gray Davis, or Big Gray. He is a sweet boy!
In addition, there is a PayPal account where you can donate funds. The money goes towards the spay/neuter program, vet care and food. Please donate to help Lynn and her group to help the cats.
You can donate on PayPal, using the email “famagustacatcareproject@hotmail.com” to donate. Thanks!
Flop and the left, Goldie on the right. These two are on the boardwalk closest to our apartment, and are the first kitties we see when we go for a walk.
The beautiful Bebé again. Just can’t get enough of her!
It was fantastic to meet you and Darren as well Pam. Made a nice change to chat with a fellow MS fighter! I hope the message about the cats gets out there loads, thank you for helping to spread the word.
I will try to visit Bebe as much as I can and keep you updated on how she is, hopefully someone will fall in love with her too and give her a forever home!
Hoping that one day soon I can get over to the states and visit!
You’re welcome, Rob, and thanks for keeping on eye on Bebe and all the other great cats! =^..^=
It was great to meet you both and I only wish we could have met earlier and spent more time together. Thank you so much for helping us to raise awareness of the problems we face with the cats here and for supporting our project. Hopefully we can find homes for some of the cats in your photos 🙂 By the way where did you take the photo of the grey and the black kitten. I think these are the two that I have been trying to find as I may have homes for them. Were they on the main strip in Protaras or on the boardwalk? x
Lynn, you’re quite welcome, and it was lovely to meet you as well. I’ll send you a message with a few more details about the kittens, need to look at the date of the pic as well. Thank you for the work you’re doing with the cats!
Wow, what a wonderful post and so great to see you guys helping with such a worthy cause. These cats are gorgeous. I have soft spot in my heart for feral cats and will donate a little to the cause. There were a lot of them in my old neighborhood–college kids would leave and leave them also–and I worked a lot with a similar feral cat project here. Thanks for letting us know, Pam!! (When I saw the photo on facebook, my first thought was that you guys might be adopting a cat from Cyprus!!–very looong ride for a cat, however). 🙂
xoxo
Maria, thank you so much. That means a lot to me. While I would love to take home several of these cats, it just isn’t practical, and there are kitties who need love and a home back in the Seattle area. We still want to travel each year, so will likely get set up with a local group to foster a cat now and then until we’re ready to commit to one long term.
Oh what wonderful cats!!! They obviously love you. Gray Davis is smiling. I can almost hear them purr!
Pam – you look so happy! And in the sun by the beach – Aaaaah!
My Lily is curled up in the chair behind me. I tried to have her look at your pix but she wanted to play with the paperclips on the desk instead.
Pity you can’t stuff bebe in your bag to bring home.
Have Fun!!
XOXO Pat 🙂
Pat, thanks. Sorry to hear Lily wasn’t interested in the pictures, but I understand the lure of paperclips! 🙂
They are such beautiful cats and, unlike most feral cats, they are very friendly! All the cats at the hotel where we stayed loved to interact with people and we really bonded with them (despite trying very hard not to!). So much so that when Lynn told us what happens to the cats over winter we had to bring home the sick little kitten we’d asked for her help with. Lynn organised it all for us in her own time, all I had to do was pay for it. She’s a star! 🙂
Jacqueline, thanks so much for the comment. You’re right, I didn’t really mention how friendly these cats are. Most of them don’t seem shy like most feral cats. So glad you helped that kitten, and yes, Lynn is amazing!
Hi
Is this still going? I have been staying in paralimni,kapparis and there are a massive volume of cats kittens near here which I am worried about.
Thanks
Elanor
Yes, there are still folks in that area who are helping with the cats. Lynn still has Famagusta Cat Care Project. Sorry for the delay, hope you connected with someone there.