During a holiday to Ibiza, cat-lover Angela Collins was horrified to discover that there were many thousands of stray cats and kittens all over the island, having either been abandoned, or born on the street. There was no help for them, and they were simply left to die of starvation or diseases such as cat flu, leukaemia, aids and enteritis. Subsequently, in 2000 the English charity, Care4Cats began its campaign of neutering these strays to decrease the population in a humane way.
During the last thirteen years, the Care4Cats Charity has neutered over 13,000 cats here on Ibiza, with two teams of volunteers coming over from the UK twice every year to trap, neuter and return the strays to where they were found. Many of Ibiza's residents have now become involved and volunteer their time and money by helping to organise fund-raising events, providing short-term fostering for the more tame cats, donating dried food, and generally raising awareness of Care4Cat's work.
In addition to their visits to Ibiza, the charity also has a team of three vets on the island who, for a reduced fee, are on hand to give emergency veterinary care to the ferals in the case of illness or accident.
The work is a huge success, and the colonies of strays that have been neutered are now visibly fatter and healthier. But, of course, this is an on-going process and with one un-spayed female and her offspring capable of producing approximately 420,000 cats in seven years, the importance of neutering cannot be stressed strongly enough. Not only does it reduce the future population, but neutered cats are generally friendlier and healthier, less prone to diseases, and male cats often become less aggressive after neutering.
To this end, Care4cats have set themselves the ambitious project of opening their own base and veterinary clinic on Ibiza, and are now working together with Spanish Charity - Asociacion Gatos Atendidos - to raise funds to open the Eivissa Animal Centre, which will provide neutering, care and support all year round.
Of course, Care4Cats are always on the look-out and extremely grateful for any help that can be offered. A fund has been set up for the Eivissa Animal Centre with a total of €300,000.00 being appealed for. Each of the two annual visits to Ibiza costs €10,000.00, so the charity is also running a Van Appeal, needing only £2,000.00 to greatly reduce their costs and enable them to travel to the island more frequently and easily.
To find out more about Care4Cats, or if you would like to help in any way, by perhaps becoming a member, offering your time and support, donating, or organising a fund-raiser, then these are the links to follow.
www.Care4cats.co.eu.
https://www.facebook.com/ibiza.care4cats
www.eivissaanimalcentre.com