A new scientific study published in the journal Frontiers in Animal Science, authored by researchers Jamie L. DeLeeuw and Harry Eckman, highlights a critical crisis regarding the stray cat population in Cyprus. The research, based on interviews with 44 professionals and volunteers across Cyprus, Greece, and Portugal, estimates that the number of stray cats on the island has surpassed 2 million. Given that the human population in Cyprus is less than 1 million, the island potentially holds the highest ratio of stray cats to residents globally.

The study identifies a complete lack of central planning and insufficient funding as the primary drivers of this issue, noting that state responsibilities are being informally offloaded onto exhausted volunteers. Additionally, the warm Mediterranean climate and supplemental feeding by tourists have fostered conditions for rapid, uncontrolled reproduction. The researchers emphasize that the problem is not a lack of technical knowledge, but rather institutional failure and a lack of effective coordination across southern Europe.