What do Japanese Reporter Miss Ayako Imoto and Chicken have in common?

Cats !! Malta welcomed Miss Imoto Ayako (イモトアヤコ) and her TV team on Nippon TV mid September 2016 for the shooting of scenes for an upcoming episode (16 October 2016) of the popular Japanese TV show "ItteQ". Besides diving at a tuna fish farm, making it up a greasy ramp in Spinola Bay, other fun activities, and showing the highlights of the Island of Malta, Imoto-san followed the meows of the 350,000 stray and feline cats that live on our islands. As strays are very shy by nature and the time for the shooting was very short, we helped arranging for a visit to the C.S.A.F. cat shelter in Cospicua.

Doris Zarb, Founder of the CSAF Shelter, preparing for the shooting.

Nippon TV is a main Japanese private broadcaster and best known for its very popular Japanese entertainment show: “ItteQ - Let’s Challenge the World”, which airs every Sunday evening and reaches almost 20 million viewers (20% share) in Japan. Some episode make it even to other Asian countries. For ItteQ some very famous reporters travel around the globe to show different cultures and arts, new inventions, habits and sights, always with a funny touch that makes the program loved by all age groups.

So here she comes, Imoto-san, in her typical show appearance:

Miss Imoto (イモトアヤコ) entering the shelter, followed by her assistant and camera men filming.

Imoto-san wanted to shoot a scene with her among many many many cats. But first, how do you attract feral cats - even though in a shelter - altogether? With fresh chicken ! See for yourself...

And the work begins, shooting the scenes. Imoto-san now disguised as a large ginger cat :) 

(more impressions once the episode has aired in Japan)

Imoto-san, Doris Zarb and a camera man checking out a possible scene.

Domo arigato, Imoto-san, say Gabriele and Alexander, for stopping by at the CSAF Cat Shelter in Malta and for taking impressions and scenes back to Japan to an audience of 20 million TV viewers for your popular program ItteQ. (aired 16 October 2016 prime time)

And we made Imoto-san try the famous Maltese pastizzi (ricotta)

Please support the CSAF Cat Shelter and its ca. 250 abandoned and feral felines. This NGO covers the daily costs in the range of 200-300 Euro for food, litter, medicine, neutering (EUR 45 per cat), water, electricity and run by volunteers, almost completely through donations. Send your contribution via PayPal to csafmaltafunds@gmail.com . Grazzi hafna !!

Love and Devotion: Sugar - the Paralysed Cat

photograph ©2016 Islands of Cats

Doris, the founder of the cat sanctuary "C.S.A.F. - Carers of Stray and Abandoned Felines" in Cospicua, Malta, and her team are lovingly caring for «Sugar» for ten years.

The tomcat fell off a balcony some seven years ago, leaving him all paralysed from head down. Euthanising was no option for Doris' sweetheart. With the help of the volunteers at the Sanctuary - and the other 250 cats - Sugar enjoys being cared for in the cat shelter.

Sugar resides in a comfortable basket or baby seat, being moved, fed and cleansed daily by the volunteer carers. He receives veterinary care whenever needed, and on July 11, 2016, the CSAF posted on Facebook:

photograph courtesy C.S.A.F.

** SUGAR, OUR PARALYZED CAT HAS HAD HIS TEETH REMOVED **

Our precious and beloved Sugar, a paralyzed cat that has been under our care for the last 10 years, has had to have his teeth taken out as they got all rotten. He is now doing a slow recovery at the sanctuary...

Sugar not only gets a lot of attention from the carers, but also from several fellow-cats, some of them often stopping by to cuddle with him in his basket during the night. Sugar might be paralysed, but he is totally aware of what is going on around him. A wonderful example of what love and devotion can do. Blessings to lil' Sugar and to everybody so patiently looking after him.

photograph ©2016 Islands of Cats

The "C.S.A.F. - Carers of Stray and Abandoned Felines" is one of 22 stray cat carer portraits in the new (e)book "Islands of Cats - the humble Stray Cat Carers of the Maltese Islands" - click here to read more.

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

Newsletter #6: Update from 'Islands of Cats': hectic Kitten Season, upcoming Pre-Release

» read newsletter online   » newsletter auf Deutsch

Photo courtesy Antonella Bartolo

It's kitten season. Stray cat carers in Malta are very busy these days. Many kittens have been born all over the Islands - often as a result of careless pet owners who have abandoned their un-spayed cats and un-neutered tomcats in the streets. Those litters land on the doorsteps of the carers, with the mother-cat in distress, or in a worst case run over by a car. However, there are many good souls in networks of foster caregivers who raise the little ones, while the mother, along with other youngsters, are being trapped for sterilisation.
Recently we noticed a bunch of young cats in the colony opposite of the house where we live, ready to procreate. In agreement with their feeder, we were able to arrange for a dedicated volunteer to trap the felines and have them neutered by a non-government animal organisation's vets. Meanwhile the cats are back in their colony, happily minding their cat business, thanks to another soul with a big heart for stray animals.

From the distance: trapping one early evening in Marsaskala

Update on «Islands of Cats» - the photo-story book that highlights the dedication and devotion of stray cat carers in the Maltese Islands. All stories have been written, all 222 photos selected, layout has been finalised, and thanks to our contributors from our crowdfunding activity in February and March, the 20'000 English words have been translated to Maltese and German. We strive to pre-release «Islands of Cats» as ebook within the next couple of weeks, while the hardcover edition is still pending funds.

"Hello, I stray in Gozo."

Help us to help the stray cats carers. We are still looking for start-up support for the printing of the first 1000 hardcovers. Your contribution is very welcome, also sponsorship » click here.

Please like our page on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and regularly visit this blog. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and stay tuned for more.

For today, our best wishes to all (cat) mothers !
Alexander Johnson & Gabriele Ruttloff-Bauer

Chilling at the Tomasina Cat Shelter in Malta