Since 1992 we have been promoting the care and welfare of cats in Greece.

Our main strategy is to support neutering of colonies of stray cats to reduce breeding. Trap, neuter and return (TNR) is now recognised to be the only humane, effective method of reducing a stray cat population. Over time TNR will greatly reduce cat numbers, providing it is carried out on an organised basis several times a year.

Our TNR work in an area is carried out in one or both of two ways: By organising Veterinary Surgeons, sometimes assisted by volunteer vet nurses, to carry out the neutering in most months of the year; and/or by giving financial and material support to local volunteer groups who organise neutering programmes. We are currently supporting over 30 local groups with grants, equipment, supplies and vets/nurses, in areas including Athens, Crete, Rhodes, Samos, Skyros and Thessaloniki.  

Over time, neutering programmes for stray cats steadily reduce the number of stray animals in the area. They also serve as a means to highlight the benefits of neutering, thereby encouraging local pet owners to have their own animals sterilised.

Having been neutered, stray cats are then released back into their locality. Lower numbers mean the cats become healthier through more adequate supplies of food and less fighting, thereby becoming more acceptable to human populations. This in turn encourages people to care for and feed the cats rather than poison them.