Community Cats

 

“Community cats” are the free-roaming cats in any community.

They are typically unowned or semi-owned cats, composed of abandoned former pets, lost cats, or the feral* offspring of these strays.

Because of the tremendous overpopulation of these cats and the specific cultural situation in Montenegro, Kotor Kitties broadly defines “community cats” as any free-roaming cat who may contribute to the overpopulation problem on the streets.

Many community cats are quite tame – especially in tourist areas along the coast.They may have been born on the street, but in a tourist area where they have learned that being friendly brings rewards.

Community cats are often part of a colony and may be fed by a regular feeder or caretaker, who may also provide rudimentary care if they are sick. In Montenegro, the feeders typically spend so much of their own money on food that they cannot afford to sterilize them as well.

This is where Kotor Kitties can help.

Whether an owned cat, stray, or feral, all cats that are not spayed or neutered contribute to population growth.

In Montenegro, most pet cats are kept outside, either all or part of the time. Whilst working hard to eliminate the rodents in the area, they are also procreating during their leisure time.

This is why Kotor Kitties works to educate residents about the advantages of sterilization and helps remove any barriers to spaying and neutering.

Whether the problem is the lack of a carrier or trap, transportation to the vet, or funding, our mission is to get those cats “fixed”!

Many if not most of the friendly cats you meet on the streets in Montenegro were once pets. People frequently abandon their cats (and dogs) when they go into heat, when they discover they are pregnant, or along with their kittens (and puppies) when they give birth. Others keep the cat but put the kittens in a box or bag that they dump somewhere, away from their home.

Elderly pet? Abandonment. Sick pet? Abandonment.

Thus you see an ever-changing population of community animals.

This is not meant as a slam on Montenegrins. There are many responsible and caring pet owners in the country. In the US, Great Britain and other countries, owners also abandon their pets in large numbers, but they do so at a “shelter.” The lucky animals are adopted into new homes; shelter staff euthanizes many; the really unlucky ones live in cages for the rest of their lives.

Montenegrins don’t have the luxury of taking their animals to open shelters, so they leave them somewhere outside instead.

* Feral cats are those who are not acclimated to human company or contact. Some people consider them “wild,” but unsocialized and frightened is more accurate. Sometimes they are several generations removed from human contact; others are simply lost pets who have withdrawn their trust from humans. Regardless of their behavior or the number of generations removed from human contact, these cats are not genetically different from domestic house cats.