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The litter tray

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Original poster

Cats in Cyprus

15 replies

dementedpixie · 23/05/2025 07:20

Have come on holiday to a villa in Cyprus and we have been greeted by 5 cats. The villa owner has said previous people have been feeding them and not to do it as the cats are then left with no food when the tourists leave.

They all seem to be part of the TNR scheme as they all have a notch out their ear. Feel bad at not feeding them but guessing there will be a feeding station somewhere around they can go to.

Stray/feral cats seem to be an issue here. Saw a small kitten last night while we were out for dinner too. It's very sad but Cyprus seems to have a stray cat problem.

The cats have been sleeping on the chairs/sun loungers and keep trying to get in the villa. Have attached pictures

OP posts:

Chloe793 · 23/05/2025 07:31

It's a problem on lots of Greek islands IME. This from the cats in need Cyprus website:

Do
Feed at a feeding station if there is one nearby. Feeding stations are set up so that the feral cats always know where to go for food and their health is monitored by the person who feeds the cats on a regular basis. Encouraging cats away to be fed elsewhere means that during the winter season they may go without food as they have to re-learn where the feeding station is and their health is unchecked for several months.
Don’t
Leave large amounts of wet food for the cats in the summer months. This attracts flies and insects and the food quickly becomes baked in the sun and unfit for consumption by the cats. Give just enough for them to eat in one meal. Biscuits can be left without causing these problems (always leave water as well).

HeBeaverandSheBeaver · 23/05/2025 07:36

I'd enjoy them as I love cats and it would make my holiday.

I'd give them a little dry food
Cats are opportunistic and will come back

I like the advise on the post above re the feeding station.

rivalsbinge · 23/05/2025 07:37

That would be my worse nightmare. Poor things though why are there so many strays?

Lovemybunnies · 23/05/2025 07:39

We lived in Cyprus for a while and it’s heart breaking. Please try to give them water if you can. It’s great that they are neutered. I love Cyprus but I couldn’t wait to leave because of the fear of finding an animal in desperate circumstances while I was out. We fostered 17 dogs in our 16 months there and have one in the UK with us.

NewAgeNewMe · 23/05/2025 07:40

We have loads at my parents house. It’s a bit in the hills & just out of my dad’s village though, so a bit different but it is to keep the snake and rodent population down. We had a real issue with snakes before my parents had cats.

NewAgeNewMe · 23/05/2025 07:42

We’ve rescued a few of the dogs amongst the U.K. side of the family - I hate the way they treat their animals over there.

TheNightingalesStarling · 23/05/2025 07:50

Its really common to see them on the roads as well... I once counted 15 bodies on the 15 minute drive from the coast to our village.

The reason for so many is that for many years they did just breed indiscriminately and kind hearted tourists and immigrants fed them, so there was no natural population control.

However the neutering will eventually bring the population down.

Original poster

dementedpixie · 23/05/2025 07:54

We're in Coral Bay and there is a wee charity shop we went to last year (for TNR) and we tried to go the other day to see if there's a feeding station nearby but it was closed when we went. Might try to get there today as it shuts at 1pm.

Have seen them drink from the swimming pool. Not sure if that's safe for them.
We've been here since Sunday and they seem to stay quite close to the villa. There are trees and undergrowth next to the villa so maybe they are hunting there too

OP posts:

FineGood · 23/05/2025 08:04

I understand the sentiment but they really do not need tourists to interfere. Don't feed them.

Original poster

dementedpixie · 23/05/2025 08:07

FineGood · 23/05/2025 08:04

I understand the sentiment but they really do not need tourists to interfere. Don't feed them.

I've not been feeding them. Just wanted to make sure they had access to a feeding station somewhere nearby. It wouldn't be fair for us to feed them as then they'd rely on people being here to feed them and then starve when noone was here.

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Original poster

dementedpixie · 23/05/2025 08:09

Had a nightmare trying to have a bbq the other night. They were all up dhs legs and clambering everywhere. Then when it had cooled down they were up on the bbq racks trying to lick them. I'm guessing previous people had flung scraps for them.

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Allergictoironing · 23/05/2025 08:29

I found the same when I was there years ago, but I don't think the TNR & feeding stations thing had started way back then.

When I was in Morocco a few years back I was in an all-exclusive hotel out of town a couple of miles and the place was swarming with cats. The hotel encouraged them as rodent control and made sure that despite technically being ferals they got fed & watered, and even got the vet in occasionally. There was a shed type building where they had a few blankets & the like, & you could see food & water bowls down. There were a few really friendly ones, wanting attention not just food. You could see the staff had put sun cream on the ears of the ones with white ears, and a couple had clearly had some very neat surgery on the ears - white cats can be prone to cancer in hot sun like it is there.

Original poster

dementedpixie · 31/05/2025 21:07

It's time for us to leave tomorrow and I'm going to miss the wee annoying noisy guys and girls. They sleep on the chairs outside and come for a fuss and a rub round your legs. We haven't fed them but they are here a lot and are very friendly. We have given them all names so we know who we're talking about. Wish we could sneak them in the suitcase.

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helpfulperson · 31/05/2025 21:46

Is there a local charity you could donate to? I support Kotor Kitties which work to support and reduce the cat population in Kotor.

Original poster

dementedpixie · 31/05/2025 21:55

We donated at the TNR charity shop in Coral Bay

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