Officials in Cyprus estimate there is roughly one feral cat for every one of its 1 million inhabitants, though activists contend the actual population is much higher. The island’s parliamentary committee on the environment has been told that an existing sterilisation programme is too limited.
Given cats’ predatory nature, a large population not only has the potential to wreak havoc with the island’s ecosystem, but it could cause undue suffering for feral felines roaming car-choked streets in search of food and shelter.
Cyprus has a long history as a cat-loving nation. Two decades ago, French archaeologists unearthed what they believed to be the earliest evidence of a domesticated cat in a 9500-year-old Neolithic village. They found the bones of a cat close to the skeletal remains of a human, suggesting that they were buried together.
Adding to this long history of human-feline connection is the 4th century legend of Saint Helen who, after finding the True Cross in the Holy Lands, brought over a couple of boatloads of cats to deal with a snake infestation. A monastery that serves as a feline safe haven, St Nicholas of the Cats, still exists today.
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