Reports of a Scheme to Export Cats Abroad Surface in Cyprus

A wave of cat disappearances across Cyprus is causing serious concern among animal welfare advocates. According to them, these may not be isolated incidents but part of a possible organized scheme to capture animals and subsequently sell them abroad.

One volunteer, Maria Kyriakou, described an incident that allegedly took place on January 22 in Nicosia. According to her, a woman forcibly captured sterilized stray cats that volunteers had been caring for over seven years. The incident was reportedly recorded on surveillance cameras. Volunteers contacted the police, but claim that the response from law enforcement was insufficient.

Animal welfare activists report that similar disappearances have been recorded in other parts of the island. They suspect that the animals may be transported to EU countries, particularly Germany and the United Kingdom, with veterinary documents and passports issued for them.

Charalambos Theopemptou, MP from the Green Party and chairman of the parliamentary committee on the environment, noted that sterilized cats are easily identifiable and may become easy targets. He stressed the need for a more thorough investigation and for checks on possible channels used to export animals abroad.

There is currently no official confirmation of an organized scheme, but animal welfare organizations are calling for a comprehensive review of all reported disappearance cases.