URGENT APPEAL! Help Skiathos Cats #charitytuesday

TIME IS RUNNING OUT for over 150 cats, including kittens and blind cats. These poor babies are losing their home. 

Photo: Skiathos Cats Welfare Association

We are sharing this post to help the cats of Skiathos, Greece. We last mentioned them in this post. The following is copied from their Fundraising Page:

"Skiathos Cat Welfare Association is facing a huge crisis and we urgently need financial help!

The charity is facing an urgent CRISIS. ALL TOO SOON these CATS will have NOWHERE to go. We HAVE to RELOCATE them from their current location 

There are around 150+ cats and 30 or more kittens that need shelter, warmth and security. There are also blind cats to consider, who have always had the security of being indoors. Therefore, we have to find a solution to secure the future of the charity and the cats of Skiathos. Not only for now but for years and hopefully generations to come. In order to do this, we are looking for funds to secure the future of the charity. Not only for the cats already in our care but also for the Skiathos cats in need that have yet to cross our path.

Unfortunately, renting a property in Skiathos has proven not to be an option with the amount of cats and the legal regulations that are required. This will only leave us with three options: getting land donated, purchasing land or purchasing land with suitable buildings (that conform to Greek law so that it can get the official recognition as a shelter)

However, HUGE funds are needed to secure the future of the charity.

We currently have 3 options

1. Land donated
We have formally asked the municipality to actively seek land that can either be donated or offered at a nominal rent. We would then need to make this land safe with adequate fencing, provide sheltered areas for the cats, separate area for kittens and blind cats water tank, storage, manual labour to install and more. Costings estimated on this is circa €40,000

2. Purchase land 
If every avenue has been exhausted to obtain donated land, then a major investment would be needed to purchase land on behalf of the charity. We would again need to make sure this land is safe with adequate fencing, provide sheltered areas for the cats, separate area for kittens and blind cats water tank, storage, manual labour to install and more. Costings estimated on this is circa €140,000

3. Purchase land with building already in situ 
This option would need a major investment but would be the best long term solution for the safety and security of the charity and the cats of Skiathos for generations to come. This could provide a quarantine area, kitten nursery, accommodation for volunteers, vet room, laundry room, larger living area for the cats. Legal work and so on This could be anywhere from €200,000 plus

For anyone that has not heard about the fantastic work of the Skiathos Cat Welfare Association, here is a brief summary:

Skiathos Cat welfare has helped the needy cats of Skiathos since 2005, becoming a Greek registered charity in 2011 (registration number 2177/2011)
During this time, the charity has neutered over 7,000 cats, provided food 365 days a year to over 300 cats around the island, plus the 150+ in the charity's care. We also provide medical care to the street cats of Skiathos. All this is paid from donations from tourists visiting the Island, monthly donations from supporters, our online gift sales and auctions and food donations from our online food store. This generosity allows us to function on a month to month basis. We do not receive any Government funding! From October 2016 to October 2017 the charity neutered 646 cats with the kind help of volunteer vets, vet nurse, local and international volunteers and kind donations.

Sharon Hewing has given her time 365 days a year and provided a safe place for the cats and kittens in her own home! As a charity, we urgently need to secure a future and provide a place for the cats and kittens. Not just as a short term solution but one that is sustainable for many years to come. Due to changes at the current location the cats now have very little protection against bad weather, making cats and kittens already vulnerable even more so, and they will soon have no place at all.

Please donate anything you can, every single penny/cent counts. Choose NO THANKS at the payment page if you do NOT wish to make an additional payment to the hosting of this page."

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If you would like to help or find out more about this appeal and the work of Skiathos Cat Welfare Association please visit their fundraising page or the charity website. "

Let's do this! Let's save these cats! 😽💚💜

Check out the Skiathos Cats video on YouTube

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. As a rescue kitty myself I want to help other rescues find their forever home, so each week on Charity Tuesday I share adoptable cats from Wood Green, the Animals Charity (which is where I was rescued) and some other charities dear to our hearts. Mum and I like to help cats in need and we hope to do this through our blog. We are both so grateful to Wood Green because without them we would never have found each other!