Meet the Stray Cats of Gozo

Malta's green little sister is located a short 20 minutes ferry right North of the main Island of the Maltese Archipelago. Only 67 square kilometres in size, Gozo (Maltese: Għawdex) has much history to offer, including one of the oldest free standing temple in the world, 5,500 years old Ġgantija. The Island is popular amongst divers from all over the world, for hiking, for its rough yet green landscape, or simply for relaxed holidays away from the busy tourist centres of Malta. And cats know that, too.

Watching her clowder gather for a meal in Żebbuġ, Gozo.

By conservative estimation, some 350,000 stray cats live on Malta and Gozo. With very little control exercised by official bodies, it is thanks to the initiative and devotion of more than 1,000 individuals who feed the strays daily, provide veterinary support and have them neutered and spayed as young as 4 months (primarily at their own costs!). However, some clever moggies hide too well and do reproduce. Today the cat population in this overdeveloped, sea-locked small nation is stable, if not declining.

For the book "Islands of Cats - the humble Stray Cat Carers of the Maltese Islands", 6 of the 22 stray cat carers portrayed were visited in Gozo, namely Żebbuġ, Xlendi, Fontana, Għajnsielem, Qala, and Rabat (former brit. Victoria). While the book highlights the work of the stray cat carers, for this post, the stray cats of Gozo are the stars, photographed at around feeding time during the winter months. Enjoy the view.

Knocking at the Stray Cat Carers door. It's feeding time !! Żebbuġ, Gozo.

Strays after their in-house meal at a stray cat carer's home in Għajnsielem, Gozo

Hello. I live in Għajnsielem, Gozo, too.

Feeding time at the SPCA's Cat Café in Gozo's capital Rabat (former brit. Victoria).

Anywhere in Malta or Gozo: After the meal, snoozing in the sun. The shelter of a parked car is always welcome.

Newsletter #7: Ebook Out Now: "Islands of Cats - about Stray Cat Carers in Malta"

» read newsletter online   » newsletter auf Deutsch

'Islands of Cats' out now !
E-Book on Lulu.com for €7.99 (excl. VAT)

We are proud to announce the release of 'Islands of Cats' - in English, German, or Maltese.

'Islands of Cats' portrays a representative 22 of 1,000+ Stray Cat Carers and shelters in Malta and Gozo, outlines places of interests in the wider area of the cat colonies, contains interviews, cat facts and much more. An entertaining, informative and educational publication with the purpose to create more awareness of the important work of Stray Cat Carers and their feline protégés in the Maltese Islands.

The ebook comes as fixed-layout PDF, with 222 high-resolution colour photographs on 121 pages, readable on any device with a pdf-reader: desktop, notebook, tablet, and smartphone.

English	German	Maltese

From each book sold, we will return 1 Euro to the community of Stray Cat Carers. We are currently evaluating cat food vouchers and/or vouchers for spaying and neutering.

Help us to help the stray cats carers
We are still looking for start-up support for the printing of the first 1000 hardcovers of 'Islands of Cats'. Your purchase is well invested, als all income from the ebook brings us closer to our goal. » click here for more...

Please share the news with your friends and family, and like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and visit our blog. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Kind regards
Alexander Johnson
Gabriele Ruttloff-Bauer

» read newsletter online   » newsletter auf Deutsch

Animal Matters: Not all feral cats are wild

Frankie was thought to be a feral but he was so
tame he was able to find a loving home.

The News Herald (US) 1 March 2016: Feral cats are not given a chance when they are taken to most Animal Control facilities. They are killed almost immediately and never considered for release and/or adoption. Feral cats are domestic cats. They have the same bloodlines as their tamer relatives. In fact, many of them are the offspring of the pet your neighbors tossed out when they moved away.

Unprotected, un-neutered, this previously protected cat adds to the birthrate and produces kittens that are not used to a human touch. Many of the cats that are deemed feral and automatically killed at Animal Control facilities throughout the world are not feral. Countless numbers are so frightened that they cringe from human contact when taken to Animal Control because of the scary noises and scents: loud barking dogs, wailing cat cries, and the horrible smell of fear. These kitties are automatically deemed feral and aren’t even offered to any group or individual for rescue. Most aren’t kept alive long enough for observation to determine whether they are...read on.

Animal control chief targets overpopulation of feral felines

Little Rock official floats cat-colony idea

Arkansas Online 8 February 2016 USA: The head of Little Rock's Animal Services Division wants to fight feral cat overpopulation by returning captured cats to the street.

Instead of killing all wild cats, volunteers would trap and sterilize the felines. After vaccinations, the cats would return to a colony within the city, where they would be monitored and fed daily.

The idea has some opposition, especially among wildlife conservationists, but Tracy Roark, manager of the Little Rock Animal Village, believes it's the best way to stymie the city's exploding cat population. "We've been doing the same thing for so long, and it's not working," Roark said. He plans to propose his idea soon.

"Cat colonies" have recently gained popularity in areas where people are eager to decrease feral cat numbers without euthanization. Feral cat overpopulation is one of Little Rock's largest animal control problems, officials said. Animal control directors around the state agreed that...read on.