site.btaCyprus Is Turning into Cat Kingdom

A cat kingdom: this is what the Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been turning into in recent years. Cypriots' admiration for cats dates back to millennia ago.

In 2004, French archaeologists found evidence of domesticated cats in a 9500-year-old tomb.

According to legend, in 400 AD Helena, the mother of the first ruler of the Roman Empire to convert to Christianity, had ships carrying cats from Egypt and Palestine set sail for Cyprus. The goal was to address the local pest problem of reptiles and rats caused by a 37-year-long drought there.

Another version of the same legend suggests that Helena herself visited the island. She left a part of the Holy Cross at a place, which was then used as the foundation for the St Nicholas monastery, known today as the cat monastery. Built in early 4th century, today the nuns there feed hundreds of felines, which are believed to be descendants of the first cats brought to the island by Helena.

The Greek winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Giorgos Seferis, dedicated a poem to the Cyprus cats.

The local legends inspired cat breeders to create their own cat breed, known as Cyprus cats, Saint Helen cats, and Saint Nicholas cats. The breed is recognized by the World Cat Federation. Another local breed, called Aphrodite's Giant or just Aphrodite, is regulated by the World Cat Congress and by The International Cat Association.

Selective breeding has been causing diplomatic tensions between Cyprus and Turkey since 2009, when the then-president of the Association of Cyprus Purebred Cats accused Turkish groups of trying to officially register a Cypriot breed of cat outside Cyprus. Ten years later Nicosia claimed Ankara was trying to crossbreed Cypriot and Turkish cats in order to replace the former with the new breed. The accusation caused unrest in local political parties. Even the Cypriot Orthodox church protested the crossbreeding, saying that, "this cat breed belongs to our lands' history and traditions." Ankara denounced Nicosia's claims and pointed out that Turkey already has a famous breed: the Turkish Angora.

While the sight of a cat basking in the sun could melt the hearts of many, Cypriot authorities see homeless cats as a problem. Every year the local government spends EUR 75,000 on spaying and neutering. In 2022, the budget was raised to EUR 100,000, however according to conservation organizations, this is just a drop in the ocean considering the rate at which the cat population is growing.

Even the nuns from St Nicholas are asking the locals to not leave their old pets at the monastery. The sheer number of cats there makes feeding the animals a tall order.

According to the latest statistical data, people living in the southern parts of the island are close to a million. They may soon be outnumbered by cats - if it is not already the case.