Located a few miles out of Larnaca, on the outskirts of a village called Alethriko, there is a new Cat Sanctuary, named Sandy’s Cat Sanctuary, after a beloved Feline. There is a big problem with stray Cats in Cyprus and many of them are abused, poisoned, shot, run over or they just suffer full stop.
On the edge of Larnaca, near the airport, there is an abandoned restaurant next to Tekke Mosque, which seems to have become a dumping ground for Cats. Elias, featured in the video, has been visiting the Cats there for a long time and feeding them, but recently, there were a large number kicked to death and at that point, they decided to take as many as possible to the shelter, even though they were not really ready to operate at that point.
Animal lover Susan Antoniou (London) has always been an animal lover and it was her dream to do something about it, then finally last year, she was able to realise her dream, but being the main sponsor of the new sanctuary, which is a few acres of land in a peaceful location, not far from Alethriko. At present, it is little more than several shipping containers joined together, with separate areas inside, for Kittens, Cats with FIV and so on.
The entire area is fenced off, but sadly, they got flooded in November, due to torrential rain, which will cost a lot of money to repair. There are obviously large monthly overheads, feeding the Cats, medication etc. This will only increase along with the number of Cats. The shelter is currently being run by Elias and a couple of friends, who devote nearly all their time for free, but it is too much for them alone.
In the first instance, they need donations to help with running costs, as well as improvements and additional facilities. Also, they are looking for a generous benefactor or Timber shed manufacturer to donate a few small garden rooms that can be fitted out as sleeping areas for volunteers who may wish to fly over for a few weeks and have some hands on experience looking after the Cats, which is so rewarding.
We need a lot of help, as it is in short supply with everything
I was only there an hour or two and every time I sat down, I was inundated by the fluffy little darlings climbing all over me, it’s actually very dangerous as the risk of falling for one them is VERY HIGH!
If you would like to support this wonderful cause, please feel free to contact them directly via their website below, or donate directly with Paypal or even contact them with a view to flying over and spending some time helping out. There is no space on-site yet, but they will invariably find someone to put you up while you are over……so if you fancy spending a few weeks in sunny Cyprus, saving the lives of these gorgeous innocent creatures, please get in touch.
I’ve seen cats eating bread, chicken bones, fish bones that get stuck in their throats, then die in pain, or cats which are poisoned, drowned, shot, or kicked to death.
Should you wish to sponsor the sanctuary arrange day visits for Cat lovers, enquire about adopting or anything else, please feel free to get in touch. This really is a wonderful cause and it was a privilege to visit this place, I will be returning on my next trip.
A few words from Susan…………
“I started the sanctuary to save all the stray cats because the majority of Cypriots show no mercy and consider them vermin. i would not go to cyprus as i could not bear to see those skinny, sick cats that nobody was interested in, worse still starving to death, searching through bins to find what they could to survive. I’ve seen cats eating bread, chicken bones, fish bones that get stuck in their throats, then die in pain, or cats which are poisoned, drowned, shot, or kicked to death.
The government is not interested in the cats, the same thing applies to dogs. i wanted to give them a home. lots of kittens are taken from their mums too early and abandoned at Tekke, which is a popular place for dumping cats and kittens. i wanted to give them a future, to live longer than just a few months, so i decided that rather than walk away, i would do something to save as many as possible, so i bought 5 acres of land to house all the strays.
I have friends that have done a lot of running around and i cannot thank them enough for the hard work they do every day to save the lives of so many strays. the plan is to rescue, help and neuter stray cats then hopefully find new homes for them. at the shelter they will have access to good food, safety and not be at risk of starving.
We need a lot of help, as it is in short supply with everything including food. i can only do so much , what i would really like is to have all the cats in Cyprus to have a good and safe life.”
Susan – co-founder of the sanctuary
PLEASE FORWARD ANY DONATIONS TO US VIA PAYPAL
Paypal Account
info@friendsoflarnacacats.org
Please visit out GoFundMe page
Hi, keep in mind that there u have descendants of the Van cat. A registered breed yet a very old one. They originally where found by salt Lake Van, now Eastern turkey. Some are white while others are white and have ginger or tabi on full tale and head. The Van cat can also have two colour eyes. One blue one yellow.
Check out Van cat. They r known to like water and can swim, perhaps why there are many around the salt lake of tekke!
It s just another way to get adoption for them as they have a breed!
Of course the Armenians who since ancient times lived around lake van recognise them as the Armenian Van cat, the Turks, the Turkish Van cat and the Kurds of the area, the Kurdish Van cat! A bit like the local coffee! Yet coffe originates from Ethiopia Yemen as the can cat from lake van!!
Some of the cats have also a coloured spot on their white fur, somewhere on their backs. This is said to be the thumbprint of God or Allah who touched and blessed them as they left Noah’s ark as legend says!!!
Check out photos of them on Google. Van cats of lake van or Turkish Van cats….
I c many there at tekke that are descendants of them! Many are not just ordinary cats but have come from a rare species!!
I am not for selling or breeding them but all for finding them safe homes where they will be cared for…
They may seem like just cats, but many there have a rare history…
Good luck in finding them homes…
I wish you well.
They may also have a marking on their backs. Legend says that when they left noah s ark, in the area of lake van god or Allah touched to bless them hence the marking on their white backs!
They may look like normal cats but they have a historical past.
This is not to breed or sell them, as I have noticed many have these markings and are definitely descendants of them but hopefully give them a better chance of finding good homes.
The Turks called them Turkish vans, the Armenians Armenian vans and the Kurds of the area Kurdish vans. A bit like coffee here yet it originated first in Ethiopia, Yemen just as the can cat originated in salty lake van!
I just hope this knowledge finds them good and caring homes…
And the interesting thing is that they are found around the salt lake of tekke. This is how their natural habitat was. Salty lake van is now in Eastern turkey…. Something to do with the mosque also, maybe the cat was brought as a gift, I do not know but they definitely feel at home there…
The salty lake has always been their home…
Check out Van cats or Turkish Van cats in Google. You can read history, origins and see photos. Especially the white ones with spot colour on their heads and an all colour tail. Spot for the spot on some too!
Good luck…