Number of stray cats in Cyprus estimated to be over one million

Stray cats in Cyprus can be seen everywhere with their population estimated to be over one million, concerned animal activists have said.

Especially visible are in coastal area where hotels and restaurants operate, but also in cemeteries, school yards, military camps and in densely-populated neighborhoods.

However, even though the Ministry of Agriculture, Veterinary Services and animal welfare organizations do acknowledge the alarming rise of stray cats sterilisations remain limited.

This is what Dinos Agiomamitis – head of the Association of Cat Protection and Welfare and deputy head of the Voice For Cyprus Animals Federations told Philenews.

In fact, the state only sterilizes some 1,500 cats annually with the available budget being around €75,000.

Animal activists launched an initiative and collected  enough online signatures so as to demand that the  sterilization budget rises to €500,000. To date, over 27,000 signatures have been collected.

At the same time, animal welfare organizations and volunteers are getting ready to protest in favour of sterilization but also other measures to be taken by the state so that daily dangers stay cats are exposed to end.

In-Cyprus