Last week My family and I had our usual January break in Carvoeiro.
Actually, we stayed just outside in Vale de Milho.
As we have been holidaying in Carvoeiro for many years we are well
aware of the problem of stray animals in the area, particularly cats.
Usually, we are unable to get near these poor, starving creatures but
this time, things were different.
The first little cat we encountered was a small, friendly tabby, who
sat every night outside the cafe bar in Rocha Brava. He was very thin
and hungry but the cafe staff wouldn't feed him as they didn't want
strays hanging around. We were so upset by his pathetic cries for food
that we started feeding him scraps. This was probably wrong but we
could not ignore his hunger while we tucked in to our meal. He would
run after us when we left, desperate to come with us.
The other cats we encountered arrived at our rented Villa on our
third night. We thought they were mother and kitten. The mother was
black and white and very pretty and her kitten was all black with huge
green eyes. They were obviously starving and had decided that the visitors in that particular villa might be kind. They were right and we
did feed them.
Our only regret is that these animals were given false hope by our
kindness and I grieve to think of them sitting,waiting and wondering
what's happened because they are no longer being fed.
We asked the villa manager if she could suggest how we could help
these cats and also approached the animal charity shop in Carvoeiro.
Sadly, no one could help and we had to end our holiday knowing that
these poor cats would probably starve to death.
Since our return home I have informed the international branch of the RSPCA of the plight of these stray animals and also Associacao de Proteccao Animal do Algarve but as yet we have had no response.
Carvoeiro has always been a special place for us, hence our frequent
holidays there. However, we are now so distressed about these animals
and the fact that despite the obviously escalating problem, there is
still no legislation in place for their welfare, that we feel
reluctant to take anymore holidays there. The heartache overrides the enjoyment.
I wish this post could be printed in one of the local publications or be read by one of the local councillors in Carvoiero. Perhaps something might be then done to alleviate and prevent the suffering of these animals and in doing so limit the distress caused to the visitors and tourists.
A neutering programme and education would be the answer, along with
more animal shelters and planned feeding regimes, similar to the ones
already up and running in parts of Spain and Italy. Also, imposing
heavy fines for proven mistreatment of animals would be no bad thing.
I would really like to know that something is being done to tackle this problem.



Maureen Greville (mrs)

That's very caring of you mogrev.

We have a place at Centeannes, just along the road from Rocha Brava. My wife is soft on cats, and we have 3 feral cats that we feed when out there. We also leave catfood tins there so the guests can also feed the cats. The lovely thing is that most of our guests go along with this, so much so that last time we were out there , there were 10 tins of catfood sat on the worktop in the kitchen.

We cant change the way these almost wild cats breed.....but we can do our best for them when we can. If that attracts them....so be it, but the interesting thing is that they are SO territorial, we rarely get other strays around!

That anyone should feel sorry for this cats is understandable but they are NOT pets and there is a real rsik that you will regret encouraging the feeding of these strays.

I have heard of small children badly scratched by them and of disgusting mess left behind when they got into villas and apartments as a result of being fed.

DO NOT FEED THE CATS.

I bet your wife obeys that maxim!!!....NOT!

Yes she does as do most of our friends who own rental properties.
Your views might change when you have had to clear up cat """"" off
a bed.
Or deal with a small child with bleeding hands.

I used to own a unit on Rocha Brava and the cat problem got a lot worse early last year - we were told that a guy who used to live just outside of RB had moved away but had left about 20 cats to fend for themselves. The result was cats everywhere early last year all looking for food and having litters all the time. What made it even worse was the fact that they were all very pretty with lovely white and tortoise shell quite predominant. My wife is a cat lover and we did feed them even though we knew the problems that EMM points out. We advised RB of the problem and they promised to try to sort it out. The only answer is a neutering campaign. The last we heard a woman German vet was going to visit and carry out such a campaign funded entirely by herself.

EMM wrote:That anyone should feel sorry for this cats is understandable but they are NOT pets and there is a real rsik that you will regret encouraging the feeding of these strays.

I have heard of small children badly scratched by them and of disgusting mess left behind when they got into villas and apartments as a result of being fed.

DO NOT FEED THE CATS.

What a caring and compassionate post

Surely it would be more useful to contact one of the many rescue organizations or even the câmara rather than condemn these poor animals to starvation. They may be strays but surely they deserve some thought and help?

Thank goodness there are many selfless, devoted people who do their best to help in these situations and we don't all have the same attitude as you

There is a natural balance which is disrupted when these strays are fed.
They get healthier and breed more , ergo more strays.

Without this feeding the cat population which soon drop to a level that can sustain itself.
This is not cruel it is natures balance.
The cruelty could be in feeding these animals.

Remember they are NOT pets, they are a wild ( feral ) non native population.

EMM wrote:
Remember they are NOT pets, they are a wild ( feral ) non native population.

None native population? What?? You mean like you, me, and most other posters on this forum, who live part of the year in the Algarve?....OK...

These cats have become a wild population, a species not native to the area, They have no native predators to keep the numbers down.
As for cruelty what do you think happens to the strays that are rounded up not just in portugal but in UK city centres.

Do you think they go to a holiday camp for stray cats to live out their days in comfort.

I think NOT.

Please don't be so patronising. I would prefer to see them rounded up and put to sleep than ignored and left to starve - how cruel is that? - hence my suggestion to contact the câmara

I do despair of humans sometimes

And it is worth noting that all cats and dogs are feral until they are domesticated - born feral does not mean always feral.

Thankfully there are many many caring and responsible people both Portuguese and those of us who have chosen to live here, who take a much more caring and responsible attitude to stray animals. It is a nonsense to suggest that all the cats who sadly find themselves without a home are feral, mostly they are the result of irresponsible humans who have moved on and left animals to fend for themselves.
Thank you for caring Mogrev, it may not seem like it to you but there are lots of people trying to care for the stray cat and dog population here in the Algarve and there is a neutering programme going on.

I know that I am in a majority of one but the feral cat populations are not the result of being abandoned by owners but are now mainly self sustaining.
They live off the scraps and detritus of us. I am in full agreement the the restaraunt owners who react strongly to the precence of these animals and to the ( two week year ) tourists who feed them making the situation worse.

Yes the best action would be to have a van that toured the area collecting wild cats for disposal, but I bet that this would be regarded as cruel as well.

Note the EU recently outlawed the use of cat and other animal furs as trim on ladies clothes manufactured in china and other parts of the far east.

Personally I could not see these poor animals starve whatever the consequences - it is the fault of humans. Yes I am an animal lover and has already been said they would be better rounded up and put to sleep peacefully than left to starve and carry on breeding, unfortunately they do not know about birth control. I despair of people who blame the poor animals!