Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why does every Holiday Destination have Stray Cats

28 replies

Aquarius1234 · 24/05/2025 21:43

Are there any European coastal/ city breaks that don't have millions of stray cats?

I was thinking of France but apparently 11 millions cats.
I get Greek islands and Cyprus oh and Croatia had a crazy amount....

Why can't you go anywhere and not be surrounded by cats when out for dinner.
I thought western Europe wouldn't be littered ?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Original poster
Aquarius1234 · 24/05/2025 22:57

Any stray animal is horrible of course. Apparently stray dogs are a big issue in Athens.
I'm shocked at some non poor countries having such an issue. Eg Fance / Italy/ Spain.
Netherlands has high numbers but most are in homes.

OP posts:
Original poster
Aquarius1234 · 24/05/2025 22:55

Anyone been to Bordeaux and noticed cats around all the time?
I thought it would be more like UK or parts or Spain where they aren't as noticeable.

OP posts:
TheMousePipes · 24/05/2025 22:54

So broadly speaking you don’t like them being there because they ruin your ‘vacay vibe’ but don’t care about the welfare situation? What is your ideal fix here?

knitnerd90 · 24/05/2025 22:50

If you don't want strays you need somewhere where the winters are cold. One reason strays flourish around the Mediterranean is that the climate is more conducive to survival. I do think Rome has improved in recent years but any large city will have strays.

Caravaggiouch · 24/05/2025 22:49

The only cats I’ve seen in Menorca and Mallorca were extremely well fed hotel cats and they were few and far between. Turkey is the worst for stray animals, especially dogs.

Picklechicken · 24/05/2025 22:45

Aquarius1234 · 24/05/2025 22:42

Even if I was neutral about cats I wouldn't be keen on going to places or enjoy holidays with so many strays.
I always here from people that have no particular issue with them. So it tells me they would rather there wasn't loads of cats all over their pretty holiday destinations.
It's a negative.

Show quote history

Well of course no one wants strays - it’s a sign they’re not being cared for properly - ie neutered etc. I am a cat lover and it breaks my heart to see unwanted and unloved cats so I would rather not go to places where strays are mistreated. I wouldn’t go to places like Egypt etc because of the ways they treat their donkeys etc.

Original poster
Aquarius1234 · 24/05/2025 22:44

LemonSwizzle · 24/05/2025 22:40

Broadly speaking, the poorer the country, the worse the animal care. Where human life is valued less, animals will be treated worse. Can’t explain Spain and Italy though. I have been to Italy loads and never seen this cat issue.

Yea that's what I thought. So surprised about the huge number in France and Italy.
I'm guessing when you've gone to Italy and Spain lots you have noticed cats about in the evenings in the same way you would in the UK? But a little bit more.
Not like always 10 cats around your table and wondering the street all the time.

In Croatia you could never walk down a street and not see cats. Whatever time.

OP posts:
Buildingthefuture · 24/05/2025 22:44

Aquarius1234 · 24/05/2025 22:42

Even if I was neutral about cats I wouldn't be keen on going to places or enjoy holidays with so many strays.
I always here from people that have no particular issue with them. So it tells me they would rather there wasn't loads of cats all over their pretty holiday destinations.
It's a negative.

Show quote history

You want to complain about it but won’t do anything to help? Who do you think should? Or will?

Sdrena · 24/05/2025 22:44

I think there has been a lot of work over the years in Rome. I first visited in the 90s on a school trip and the huge colonies of cats made a real impression. Saw a few strays around the archaeological sites when I was there last year, but that was it.

Italy really isn’t a stray cat country in the same way as Greece or Turkey. And I wouldn’t people in those countries don’t care - there are always people providing food and the cats seem to get a lot of fuss and and affection, but you see an awful lot with visible injuries and infections. Obviously, it’s not a good situation overall.

Original poster
Aquarius1234 · 24/05/2025 22:42

Picklechicken · 24/05/2025 22:35

So I take it you have a cat phobia? Is this what’s bothering you?

Even if I was neutral about cats I wouldn't be keen on going to places or enjoy holidays with so many strays.
I always here from people that have no particular issue with them. So it tells me they would rather there wasn't loads of cats all over their pretty holiday destinations.
It's a negative.

OP posts:
LemonSwizzle · 24/05/2025 22:40

Broadly speaking, the poorer the country, the worse the animal care. Where human life is valued less, animals will be treated worse. Can’t explain Spain and Italy though. I have been to Italy loads and never seen this cat issue.

Lardychops · 24/05/2025 22:36

I lived in Spain for 7 years in early 2000s, both rural and big town/ city. Met some of the loveliest people of my life (including my ex husbands family ) but my word their attitude to animals could not have been more different from a British one….

Picklechicken · 24/05/2025 22:35

So I take it you have a cat phobia? Is this what’s bothering you?

Panterusblackish · 24/05/2025 22:34

Malta has loads.

They're valued and locals feed and water them, some of them are as fat as butter.

The UK is not without stray cat issues. Where I work there are both ferals and strays.

I'm trying to coax a stray to come and eat regularly at the moment so I can get it scanned to see if it is lost.

Original poster
Aquarius1234 · 24/05/2025 22:31

Rollercoasteryears · 24/05/2025 22:25

I voted YANBU as we find this really difficult. We normally holiday in the UK so not an issue, but last year spent a week in Greece which was lovely, but the cats were really challenging. Not because we don’t like them, we love cats and have 2, but because it’s so upsetting. They were scrawny, missing ears, eyes, fighting around us at dinner, etc. We bought food for them while there, but this has reminded me to set up a regular donation to a charity which helps with this issue.

Weirdly I don't remember seeing many in Mykonos but wouldn't visit another Greek island as always here about how many stray cats there are. I just can't relax with them so close by.
Oh and someone I know said there was even more in Cyprus.

It is annoying when your potentially spending a good amount of money on holiday esp for me when I don't go away much.

OP posts:
JohnTheRevelator · 24/05/2025 22:28

I know Turkey is notorious for having loads of stray cats,but I didn't know that it was an issue in France and Greece as well.

LemonSwizzle · 24/05/2025 22:25

the only place I saw loads was Istanbul. So many cats.

Rollercoasteryears · 24/05/2025 22:25

I voted YANBU as we find this really difficult. We normally holiday in the UK so not an issue, but last year spent a week in Greece which was lovely, but the cats were really challenging. Not because we don’t like them, we love cats and have 2, but because it’s so upsetting. They were scrawny, missing ears, eyes, fighting around us at dinner, etc. We bought food for them while there, but this has reminded me to set up a regular donation to a charity which helps with this issue.

scalt · 24/05/2025 22:20

Rome has a reputation for stray cats, but I only saw one. I visited their cat sanctuary.

But I like meeting cats.

Teenagerantruns · 24/05/2025 22:17

I'm in spain atm not seen one cat, near malaga

BashfulClam · 24/05/2025 22:14

Only seen one cat on holiday this year and it was on a leash 🤷🏻‍♀️ haven never noticed loads on previous trips although my crazy cat lady friend had 22 cats turn up in Gran Canaria as she was leaving out treats.

Original poster
Aquarius1234 · 24/05/2025 22:08

cramptramp · 24/05/2025 22:00

I don’t know where you go on holiday but I’ve only been to a couple of places that had stray cats.

Last place I went to for a proper city break was Dubrovnik and surrounding areas. Too many cats. Am really not keen on them.

OP posts:
Original poster
Aquarius1234 · 24/05/2025 22:06

Didntask · 24/05/2025 22:00

I've never seen many stray cats in Italy or Spain.

Breaks my heart to see them in other countries though, I wish I could take them all home. I just feed them when I'm there. I did TNR for a few years in a ME country, it's even worse there than it is in Europe.

It does seem like a lot of popular holiday destinations are very lacking in the animal care dept.

Apparently there are high numbers in Italy and Spain says over 5 million. Maybe cos the countries are large they are more spread out and don't wonder the streets in tourist areas so much ?
I don't remember seeing many years ago when I went to Spain.
Apparently loads in Sardinia.. shame.

OP posts:
cramptramp · 24/05/2025 22:00

I don’t know where you go on holiday but I’ve only been to a couple of places that had stray cats.

Didntask · 24/05/2025 22:00

I've never seen many stray cats in Italy or Spain.

Breaks my heart to see them in other countries though, I wish I could take them all home. I just feed them when I'm there. I did TNR for a few years in a ME country, it's even worse there than it is in Europe.

It does seem like a lot of popular holiday destinations are very lacking in the animal care dept.