Hi, my name is Verena. When I moved to Cyprus, I knew there were many stray cats. What I didn’t know was that I would witness so much suffering every single day.

Cyprus is home to more than two million stray cats, and behind the beautiful beaches and holiday resorts, countless cats and kittens are fighting every day simply to survive.

Many are born into a life of hunger, disease and constant danger, while others are abandoned or seriously injured.

I rescue as many of them as I possibly can, but every day I am reminded that I cannot save them all.

Alongside rescuing cats and kittens, I care for three cat colonies by providing food, fresh water and medical treatment. I respond to emergency calls, arrange veterinary care and trap, neuter and return as many stray cats as possible because TNR is the only humane way to break the endless cycle of suffering.

Many of the animals I rescue are severely ill, injured or so weak that they are closer to death than they are to life. Saving them often requires emergency treatment, weeks of medication and around-the-clock care. While social media usually shows the happy endings, it doesn’t show the heartbreak, the sleepless nights or the growing veterinary bills behind every rescue.

I have now reached a point where I cannot continue this work alone.

Every day I receive more messages about cats and kittens that need help and it breaks my heart that I cannot rescue them all.

Asking for support is incredibly difficult, but without it I will have to walk away from animals that could have been saved Every donation, no matter how small, means another cat can receive life-saving treatment, another hungry colony can be fed and another kitten can have the chance to grow up in safety instead of suffering on the streets.

Thank you for standing beside me and giving the stray cats and kittens of Cyprus hope for a future they would never have without your kindness.