The Situation for Strays in Rhodes

Rhodes is home to tens of thousands of stray cats living without stable shelter, reliable food or access to medical care. The island's seasonal rhythm makes their situation particularly precarious. During the summer tourist season, food is plentiful, feeding grounds proliferate and the stray population grows rapidly as a result. When winter arrives and the tourist areas empty out, that abundance vanishes. What follows is predictable: malnutrition, intensified competition within colonies and a sharp deterioration in overall health.

Under Greek law, municipalities are responsible for the welfare of stray animals. In practice, limited funding and low political priority mean that food distribution is inconsistent and veterinary support is almost non-existent. The gap between legal obligation and reality is wide — and it is filled, imperfectly, by private volunteers. In Rhodes, those volunteers provide the food, care and sterilisation work that keeps stray colonies stable. Without them, the situation would be significantly worse.

What we do

TsambiCats focuses on finding homes abroad for cats from Rhodes. The island has tens of thousands of strays, and the seasonal cycle — too much food in summer, not nearly enough in winter — keeps the population large and the suffering real. We can't save them all. But we can give a lucky few a warm home and a good life, and we can work to keep the colonies we care for as healthy and stable as possible.

Sterilisation

We regularly neuter both male and female cats. It is the most effective way to slow population growth and it gives individual cats a longer, healthier life. We make use of every available programme — from the municipality and from other organisations — and supplement these with our own efforts. In October alone we took at least 35 cats for sterilisation.

Health Checks and Treatment

Street life takes a toll quickly. We provide regular health checks and treatment for the cats in our care — vaccinations, parasite control, wound care, antibiotic treatment and, where necessary, surgery. Catching problems early reduces suffering and prevents disease from spreading through a colony. When an injured or sick cat is reported to us, we assess the situation and arrange appropriate care. We work with several vets across different parts of Rhodes who support our efforts, from emergency intervention through to post-operative recovery.

Fostering

We offer foster care to cats recovering from treatment or preparing to travel abroad to their new homes. Our capacity is limited — we are two people with many animals already in our care — so we rely heavily on fellow volunteers who open their homes when we cannot. If you are based in Rhodes and can offer temporary foster space, even occasionally, it makes a direct difference.

Food Donations and Delivery

We support a wider network of volunteers who care for stray colonies across Rhodes. When the city fails to meet its legal obligation to feed strays — which happens regularly — we step in with alternative food sources. For volunteers who are struggling financially, we buy food directly so their colonies don't go without. And because not everyone has access to a car, we organise regular deliveries to make sure that no colony goes unfed simply because its caregiver can't get to a supply point.

Would you like to know more about what we do? Send us an email or a direct message on Instagram! 

How you can help

Adopt

The most meaningful thing you can do for a stray cat is give it a permanent home. Every adoption frees up capacity for another animal in need. By adopting from Rhodes, you're giving a specific cat a second chance — and making it possible for us to help the next one. We'll guide you through the process, including paperwork, transport and the practicalities of settling a new cat into your home.

Volunteer on the Ground

If you're in Rhodes and want to get involved directly, we welcome the help. Hands-on volunteering includes feeding rounds, socialising cats, helping with trapping for sterilisation, and supporting events or fundraising. It's practical, unglamorous work most of the time — and it matters enormously.

Foster

If you live or rent long-term in Rhodes, offering foster space is one of the most valuable things you can do for our work. Foster care is essential for cats recovering from treatment and for those preparing for adoption abroad. The shortage of available foster homes is consistently our biggest operational constraint. Every temporary space someone offers allows us to take in another cat from the street.

Donate

TsambiCats is not a registered organisation, but we do accept donations — every contribution goes directly into food, supplies and veterinary care for the cats in our care.

There are three ways to support us:

• PayPal. You can send a donation directly to our personal PayPal account at tsambicats@gmail.com. For the scale we operate at, this works well and gets money where it's needed quickly.

• Food and supplies. We always need cat food, feeding equipment, cleaning supplies and basic medical materials. Donated supplies go directly into the care of the animals.

• Donate at one of our partner vet practices. Contributing directly at the vet covers medical costs, vaccinations and treatments for specific cats in our care. This is often the most direct way to make a financial contribution count.

Visit our Donations Page

Ready to help? Send us an email or a message on Instagram to let us know. 

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