Stray Cats in Greece

Being an avid lover of animals, one of the first things to catch my attention upon arriving in Greece was all the stray cats. It seems like you can't walk more than a few feet without stumbling upon a group of feral felines. While I am not complaining about being able to see so many furry friends everywhere I go, my curiosity was piqued. I can count on one hand the number of strays I have seen at home in Minnesota, most likely because if you cannot take care of a pet any longer in the United States, it is common practice to bring them to a humane society or animal shelter.

The majority of the stray cats look healthy and well fed!

While there are animal shelters in Greece, interestingly enough, they tend to only focus on the spaying and neutering of the cats, as well as vaccinations, and will often continue to let them live on the streets. In fact, there is an organization that specifically focuses on the cat colony living in the National Gardens, a public park right behind the parliament building.  Different organizations will focus on specific neighborhoods and locations. Some of these organizations will put up signs assuring passers-by that the cats are being taken care of, and some ask you not to feed them, as it could disrupt the feeding schedules of the cats.

A sign put up by an organization called Nine Lives Greece.
 It reads, "The cats in this area are fed daily, neutered and cared for by Nine Lives Greece.  Our non-profit volunteer organization has no association with paid tours that profit from the existence of these cats. Groups of visitors and unreliable feeding disturbs and jeopardizes the wellbeing of the cats."

Instead of a family going out and adopting a cat, the cats here roam the street and adopt a few families. Outside of apartment buildings, houses, and even restaurants- dishes of water and food scraps are left out for the cats who frequent the area or have "adopted" a home for their self.

Dishes of food and water left out for the stray animals

A cat drinking water out of a dish left for it on a doorstep

In general, the attitude towards these stray cats is positive. Cats are natural hunters and can act as guards against undesirable pests, like pesky birds or large bugs. In America, our immediate assumption is that strays are starving and unhealthy, but the cats here are often plump, have shiny, soft, healthy coats, and look no different than a cat that you would see inside of a house in the United States. In fact, they may even be happier getting to live their lives with full freedom outside.
Children play with and pet the cats without protest from their parents. Since Greece doesn't experience the harsh winters we are accustomed to in Minnesota, the felines can simply live their lives outside without needing much care further than food and water. 

The only people I've noticed that seem to be bothered by the cats or shoo them away is other American tourists, who understandably aren't used to sharing the patio of a restaurant with a cat. Instead of seeing them as a nuisance, the people of Greece coexist with the free-roaming animals.