For the Love of (Stray) Cats

Stray cats scrounging for food around hotels have become a serious problem in resort destinations like Cancun, Mexico. The cats can carry rabies or other diseases, and the hotel’s guests often encourage stray cats (and dogs) to hang around by handing out food. The problem is severe enough that some major cities have taken to performing a massive cull of stray animals before the tourist season begins, which involves euthanizing thousands of animals. Darci Galati, Founder and CEO of Cats and Dogs International (CANDi), works tirelessly on behalf of these animals, and her organization administers a unique (and humane) solution to the problem.

Galati worked in the travel industry for many years, and was inspired to act after a visit to Cancun with her family in 2005. She noticed the enormous stray population around the resort areas in Mexico, and promised her daughters she would do something to help the animals. She shared with us the story of how she decided to get involved.

Every night after dinner we would walk back to our room. The path from the main dining room to our room was outside and it was long. Along that path sat waiting cats and kittens waiting to be fed, so the girls and I made a point of taking leftovers from our plate and feeding them before we went to bed. It was the highlight of our night. 

I tried to approach management to find out how they handled the cat overpopulation. What happened to the kittens?  How were the cats cared for? The staff were very clear.  They were instructed by management to treat the cats like vermin. Periodically they would bring in an exterminator and poison the cats and other “rodents”. The management and staff told their guests “not to feed the cats”.  

This inhumane treatment of animals did not sit well with Galati, and she vowed to do something to change the situation. She founded CANDi  in 2006, and has been working on behalf of the animals ever since. CANDi’s mission is to save the lives of stray animals at international tourist destinations through advocacy, education, and humane, sustainable population management.

One aspect of CANDi’s work involves Cat Cafés —structures that house a colony of feral cats who are then spayed or neutered, treated with the rabies vaccine, and given parasite medication. Once this healthy and non-reproductive population of cats are established on the property, their presence deters other cats from hanging around the resort and begging for food. The property owners then take on the task of regularly feeding the cats with nutritious food and providing purified water so that the cats stay away from the kitchens and food service areas of the facility. Cat Cafés are endorsed by the World Society for the Protection of Animals, and are being implemented by organizations all over the world.

This smart solution makes sense on all sides, but Galati has come up against resistance from some of the hotels she has approached because of their strict security systems and hesitancy to work with outside organizations.

It is impossible for a rescue group or a concerned individual to go into the resort, unless they are staying there. If we could get all resorts to work with CANDi and officially support the Cat Café, then humane partners (rescue groups supported by CANDi local) could get immediate access to the resort, and save an injured or suffering cat. It is the humane solution.

Many hotels are choosing to take part in the Cat Café program, and RIU Hotels & Resorts is one such company. Sarah Martinache of RIU believes that this kind of program will have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the animal population, and on RIU’s guests. 

If you’re fostering or caring for a semi-feral cat, learn about how you can socialize your cat to humans.