What To Do If You Find An Injured or Ill Cat
Dos and don’ts:
Do take ill or injured street cats to the nearest vet. If you cannot find a vet contact the local animal welfare group if there is one (see table below).
Do be careful where you feed animals. They can be unwelcome in some restaurants and tavernas; other customers might not like them. This can lead to restaurant owners taking brutal action.
Do ask your travel rep where it might be possible and acceptable to feed strays. Some islands and areas have special feeding places.
Do feed any leftover meat or fish to stray cats by the nearest rubbish bins or in a quiet place where you may see them congregating.
Do keep some dry cat food with you to feed to any hungry strays you may come across.
Do remember strays need water as well as food.
Don’t give cats or kittens milk. It will give them diarrhoea.
Don’t be frightened that you might catch rabies. There is no record of rabies in cats in Greece since the 1970s.
Volunteers in Greece to whom cats and kittens in distress can be reported as needing care:
| Area | Region | Contact | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | (Marousi – north vet clinic 1000-2100**) | 21080 51542** | ||
| Athens | (Kolonaki – centre vet clinic 0930 – 1400 exc Sundays** ) | 21072 13109** | ||
| Crete | Valerie | peachr@otenet.gr | ||
| Elounda / Agios Nikolaos | Crete | Virginia | 69448 07727 | vswain@miaow.info |
| Ermioni | Argolis | Elaine | 69518 45407 /UK 07961 589411 | elaine1156@gmail.com |
| Hydra | Athens | Theo | 22980 53175 | |
| Kefalonia | Peter | 69409 54208 | bisset44@aol.com | |
| Kos | Dodecanese | Sue | animalrescuekos@yahoo.com | |
| Parga | Preveza | Leanne | 69497 46597 / UK 01268 857452 | pargapaws@gmail.com |
| Pelion | Thessally | Vida/Sharon | contact@paws-peliongreece.com | |
| Poros | Saronic Gulf | Trisha/Evie | 69379 10958/ 69454 86069 | grvillas@otenet.gr |
| Pyrgos | Peloponnese | Fiona | 69454 93304 | fionazaglis@yahoo.com |
| Rethymnon | Crete | Christine | 28310 72977 | christine-pigi-home@hotmail.co.uk |
| Salakka to Rethymnon | Crete | Jayne | jayb@otenet.gr | |
| Samos | Farida | 69475 84112 | info@animalcaresamos.com | |
| Thessaloniki | (centre and east inc villages to east) | Christiana | 69324 85481 | xristianakar@yahoo.gr |
| Thessaloniki | (airport area Thermi Lakoma Neo Risio Panorama) | Rebecca | 69370 03232 | rebecca_papadopoulou@yahoo.gr |
| Thessaloniki | (east inc Pilea Panorama) | Zampela | 69779 51694 | spazth@hotmail.com |
| Tolo | Argolis | Toni | 27520 58043 | toni.mansey@outlook.com |
Please be aware that all our cat welfare contacts in Greece are unpaid volunteers, doing what they can when they can. They may not always be able to help, due to e.g. being away, at work or already overwhelmed with cases. Some have no shelters for animals. Donations to help with their work are always needed and appreciated, and can be made direct or through GCWS (see Donations page). Their English may not be brilliant – please be patient, and if calling from UK remember that our time zones differ.