Limassol launched a municipal program to sterilize 690 stray cats

On Thursday, the Municipality of Limassol announced the launch of a large-scale sterilization program aimed at reducing the number of stray cats. Mayor Yiannis Armeftis said that €40,000 has been allocated for the initiative and it will cover approximately 690 animals.

The program is being implemented in cooperation with volunteers, animal welfare organizations and four veterinarians — Andreas Epaminondas, Maria Vafiados, Marios Nikolaos and Panicos Stylianos.

According to Armeftis, the goal of the project is to improve the animals’ quality of life, reduce the number of newborn stray kittens, protect public health and help keep urban areas clean. The first phase will cover areas with a high concentration of stray animals, including the historic center, Vatika and the bed of the Garyllis river.

Volunteers will receive vouchers to register each animal. Of the 690 target animals, 450 are females and 240 are males, which the organizers believe will help reduce reproduction in the long term.

The initiative comes amid a national discussion on controlling the stray cat population on the island. Animal welfare commissioner Antonia Theodosiou previously presented a seven-year plan for mass sterilization. According to organizations, Cyprus may be home to between one and two million stray cats, while the current state budget of €100,000 per year is, in their view, insufficient.