One of the first things we noticed on arrival in Cyprus: cats. Cats everywhere. Under the tables of every restaurant and café, along the walls of city streets, beside the resort pool, in the rocks along the shoreline, in the shadows of ancient ruins… at every single location I’ve noticed one or more cats. They are clearly stray cats, yet friendly and apparently welcomed by the proprietor and customers alike. The cats make themselves at home wherever they go… as if they own the place! What’s up with the cats? read on.
Early one morning, while returning from my early-morning perambulation, I discovered the wooded enclave that is home to the cats of Coral Bay Resort. The sun was still low, and only one car was parked in the neighboring lot. Its trunk was open, filled with bags of cat food. An elderly couple was there, spooning out cat food to each of a dozen food bowls, while ten or more stray cats purred and nuzzled at their ankles. Very interesting! I stopped to inquire.
The retired English couple told me that Cypriots love cats but are loathe to spay and neuter them. “They say it takes away their manhood,” said the man as he shook his head and poured out another bowlful. “Right, so the cats just multiply,” said the woman. “A group of us make the rounds every morning. Today is our day, and we’ll feed about 80 cats today. Our group tends to more than 200 cats in town.” They capture and neuter them, then release them again and ensure they are well fed.
I did a little online research. There are many stories about the cats of Cyprus; according to some sources there are more cats (1.6m) than humans (1.2m), and Cyprus has few programs for sterilization [Reuters]. As a result there are charitable organizations that tend to the cats, like the couple I met this morning. The local vendors appear resigned to their presence – or perhaps appreciate them for their ability to keep rodents and snakes away from the café. They have also become a theme for tourists – I saw them on postcards, fridge magnets, coffee mugs, and tote bags.
The Cypriots’ extensive association with cats seems to have historical roots: “Remains of an 8-month-old cat were discovered buried with a human body [in a grave] estimated to be 9,500 years old (7500 BC), predating ancient Egyptian civilisation and pushing back the earliest known feline-human association significantly” [Wikipedia]. Thus, Cyprus is the location of the first known association between humans and domesticated cats – nearly 10,000 years ago!
Check out the gallery for more photos of the cats we encountered – including the great lizard-hunting cat I encountered today at the ancient ruins of Kourion.
David Kotz 