Is there still tonnes of cats in Greece

[Plump82]

It's our 10 year anniversary in a few years and I'd like to think of a ball park figure we might need to save as it we will be making this a special (extremely) delayed honeymoon. Getting married in lockdown meant we couldn't go anywhere. Plus I just love researching holidays.

Airports stress me out so we want to go somewhere that's a direct flight and that's why we're considering Greece. I've been a few times years ago and at the time there were cats on every corner. I'm a huge cat lover so the thought of lots of cats around in itself doesn't bother me. But, I'm concerned that the welfare of the cats will upset me or we come across an unwell cat etc. It might seem ridiculous but it really does put me off. However I'm wondering if things have improved since I was last there - probably nearly 20 years ago. We have seen a huge difference in Lanzarote since the first time we visited and then the most recent in the amount of cats there but I know they actively trap, neuter and release so the population definitely has reduced.

It must be hard to be so anxious op. Have you thought of counselling?

Yes there are still lots of cats, one of the huge plus points of Greece in my cat-loving opinion. But many areas have a local cat rescue/sanctuary/feeding station. How about you look up to see if there's such a thing in the location you want to go to? Then you could book your holiday, confident that you could enlist some local help if you did come across a cat in need.

I don't think you're overly anxious OP. I'm not an anxious person and I feel the same as you. I couldn't bear to holiday in Morocco for example because of how animals are treated. I don't know about Greece, but I've been pleasantly surprised at how the Canary Islands are dealing with the stray cat population. Absolutely nothing wrong with caring about animals.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with caring about animals, (life long veggie and cat/dog owner here) but you’re severely limiting your life options if you’re this sensitive. It’s a bit concerning.

yes lots of cats. Tbh though I think if you get anxious in airports a Greek (esp island) airport is going to be your worst nightmare

What an unpleasant first post.

There are still lots of stray cats but there are also more welfare organisations which trap, neuter and release cats and kittens.
So you're also more likely to find more plump and well fed cats as people are coming round to the idea that they are sentient beings who need looking after.
Perhaps also due to the fact that there are more residents now from other eu states like Holland and Germany.

I read the Marrakesh thread , that fills me with dread , I really wouldn't like to visit there , animal cruelty boils my blood .
Years ago talking 30 years we went to Egypt and I would never set foot there again .

I haven't been to Greece but have been to Turkey , they have a TNL Policy for the stray digs and cats . Cats seemed to be less abundant out and about . Loads at the hotel but they were accommodated, fed , neutered if they caught them. In return they kept rodents under check.

When I came back from Egypt I did think the UK doesn't have a glowing reputation for animal welfare does it ?

Lots of feral cats at coast an hour from Athens last year - but all being actively fed by locals, food and water out, little wooden shelters made in the park so they could find shade, etc. They all looked sleek and were tame-ish (no getting in arms' reach, but supremely unconcerned by people passing nearby as they snoozed).Tbh it just looked like a different cultural model of pet ownership rather than unloved/unwanted 'strays'.

TNL Policy

Should be TNR -trap/neuter/release

We've been going to Greece for over 20 years and have definitely noticed a huge difference in animal welfare. There are still strays but noticably less than 20 years ago. More Greeks seem to keep pets, both dogs and cats, you will notice more cats with collars. There are also far more animal welfare charities and strays often have feeding stations which are looked after 12 months of the year. Lots of local charities have been neutering cats so definitely less strays year on year.

In Kephalonia there are lots of cats. But they are actively trying to neuter them . They fee# them and catch any that need vet treatment. Obviously they haven’t been able to reach every cat but they try very hard

Well I wasn't expecting to be told I needed counseling just because i care about the welfare of animals!!

It sounds like things have changed since I was there in that they're being well looked after. The TNR sounds like it well underway which is a great thing. And lovely to hear the ones still around are healthy looking.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget it was the Marakesh thread that made me think about the animals in Greece.

Good point re Greek airports being stressful but I'm sure I could handle it...I hope I could!

We were in Crete a couple of years ago and there were plenty of cats, the vast majority of them looked healthy and they were friendly with humans. I think a lot of cats in the Mediterranean are neither feral nor pets - they occupy a position somewhere in between. They don’t actually belong to anyone but they are looked after and fed by local residents and restaurants. The cats in Crete were a highlight of our holiday.

Just an FYI on Greek Island Airports, they are often small and super busy! I get quite overwhelmed in them and I love an airport.
Santorini and Skiathos were the worst as I recall, literally there was a check in area and then a room to to wait in. That was it!

I remember how tiny they were. I also remember arriving in the middle of the night and we were all trying to get the attention of the passport control people as they were in a room watching TV!! Ah the days when security was bare minimum in airports!!

OP, we have a different view of cats. Much like you in the UK, have a different view to us, of children and old people.

But rest assured, most cats are well cared for and life on the streets for them isn't a life of horror. Often they are fairly tame due to human contact through feeding etc and many are captured humanely, neutered and returned to their colony.

We are working on controlling the cat population but it is actually well meaning thoughtless foreigners that hamper efforts. Though that is another story.

I volunteer at a local animal rescue, and like you I prefer to avoid holidaying in places where animals are neglected and abused.
We went to Corfu last year. There were loads of stray cats around but they all looked amazingly healthy and well fed. They were very friendly too, and if it hadn’t been for the tell tale clipped ears denoting that they had previously been trapped and neutered, you would never have guessed that they were strays. It turned out that Corfu has a well established network of animal welfare charities with an army of volunteers, and as a result the stray cats on the island are extremely well cared for. We got chatting to a local volunteer at Kalami Bay where we were staying, and I was so impressed by his dedication that I now make a regular donation to the charity concerned.
Corfu airport is small but efficient and we didn’t find it in the least bit stressful.

Have you thought of not being a twat?

That’s nice. In 2011 when I went there I saw kittens (feral) dumped over a road barrier at the top of a mountain. Couldn’t speak much Greek so sadly couldn’t help them. :(

Some cats like the kittens I saw in Kefalonia were feral, so either stray/feral cats or farm cats. But as stated by pp the island now cares more for cats.

There are two fewer than there were. One is curled up nexr to me purring. The Greek Animal Welfare charities are working hard. If younare really cincerned about the plighr of Greek cats, give a rescue close to where you holiday a donation. They'll be thrilled. I'm still in touch with the lady who rescued mine and arranged for their jourmey to my local cat rescue in the UK. She spends lots of time, trapping, treating and neutering. Mine were hiding on top of car engines, under the bonnet. If it weren't for rescue they'd be jam on the tarmac now.

Enjoy your holiday - stroke some cats.

I think there’s a similar situation in Crete. The street cats mostly look healthy and well-fed and many have the little triangle snip on their ears, indicating that they’ve been neutered. Here’s a couple I snapped when in Crete a couple of years ago, you can see the ear triangle if you look carefully. Both look healthy enough!

I feel the same as you op, it’s bad enough in this country these days with people letting their cats breed and dumping cats when they can’t be bothered anymore.

first poster is a head-tilt twat. Glad you’re ignoring them.

This is one of the Turkish Cats my DH saw , his left ear is fully snipped (he might've been in a scrap ? ) might be a female cat .

The ones we saw in Turkey and other places had the top of the ear cropped so you could tell from a distance .

The cat in the photo looks quite well fed