Furtada Island, off the coast of Brazil, is known as the "Island of the Cats." Hundreds of furry felines call the island home, but they're not doing well. The island abounds with dangers, including poisonous pit vipers and lizards who attack and bite. On top of that, there are no natural sources of freshwater on the island, meaning that the animals there are often at risk of dehydration and kidney diseases.
Luckily, kind souls have spent years caring for these abandoned and feral animals. Fishermen throw fish scraps onto the island for the cats, while others dock on the land in order to set up bowls of packaged cat food and water.
But ever since the pandemic started raging through Brazil, confining humans to their mainland homes, things for the cats have gotten
extremely dire.
Sign the petition to demand that the government fund efforts to feed and care for these animals, and set up catch-and-release spay and neuter programs!Now numbering around 250, the population started with just two cats around 20 years ago. Their humans used to live on the island but eventually left — and when they did, they also left their pets behind.
All on their own, the two animals spawned a whole generation of more cats, and in response local people began using the island as a sort of 'dump spot' for any unwanted or stray felines. For decades, former pet owners would boat up to the island, deposit their animals, and leave.
Brazilian lawmakers have passed legislation to increase the penalties for such animal cruelty, but the situation still continues. Even worse, the cat population also keeps growing through natural means — i.e. mating and producing little baby kittens. But even though producing such offspring is natural, it's still dangerous in an environment as treacherous as Furtada Island.
Volunteers are stepping up and trying to do everything they can to help these little furry creatures, including searching for adoptive pet-families, but they can't be expected to do everything on their own. They need help!
Urge the Brazilian government to help resolve this situation by spaying and neutering these wild, abandoned cats, and funding efforts to help the cats who already live on the island!