Those who remain in Athena in August, they have the opportunity to observe them better, as well as to understand how many there are. Cause of the tramps cats cities, which, when the capital is crowded and its rhythms are tense, are not so noticeable.

Lucky for them, there is an animal welfare association. “Nine Lives”which was created on 2008 and systematically takes care of stray cats in the center of Athens. The goal of an active network of volunteers is to reduce the overpopulation of stray cats through neutering and urban relocation programs. In 2020 alone, the association sterilized 1,700 cats..

But besides this, the union undertakes to keep stray cats healthy and … fed even when the city is empty.

In fact, they are fed by union volunteers. 365 days a yearso they never run out of food (or two). In fact, as they say, cats are used to this routine, know the feeding times, and even have their favorite volunteer to share a few extra meows with.

Why August is hard for stray cats

“Summer and especially August is a difficult time for our work. We often find a box with a kitten on the street. “Summer and especially August is a difficult time for our work,” he begins to describe the identity of the association with a figurative title. Sonya SoldierVolunteer of Seven Souls and continues:

“We often find a box with an abandoned kitten or kittens on the street. Sometimes the one who abandoned him because he cannot take care of him while he is on vacation or for some other reason thinks that if he leaves him in a place where he checked if there is food and water, then the animal will survive . Very bad logic, but we see how it happens.

In the same time, male cats change territory and move to an empty city because they want to mate. And so, in July and August we have an increase in its populationWith. Newborns are multiplying, needing milk and soft food. At the same time, we are in a period where adoption and adoption due to vacations that citizens take are falling sharply.

»Thus, many volunteers take home stray cats in the summer when they need to be away from the street for a while. Since we take turns feeding and caring for different colonies of stray cats, we make sure to plan ahead for when each of us goes on vacation.

We are also well organized before the start of the summer and check each colony, see what new animals have arrived, and do a quick veterinary check, spay and deworming.

Let me say that there are about 50 volunteers actively involved in the association, but each of them helps us in their own way, as well as volunteers from the rest of Greece and also from abroad in tasks such as managing the site or sending items for the bazaar we organize “.

How can we help Seven Souls

“And how many stray cats are there in Athens?” we ask Mrs. Soldier, and she replies, “We think there are thousands of them. For The main colonies that our association takes care of are located in the Acropolis, the National Garden, Omonia, as well as Kaisariani, Kallithea and the Tower of Athens..