Over 1,000 cats abandoned by owners on Koh Phi Phi, donations needed

More than 1,000 cats have been abandoned on Koh Phi Phi, the small collection of islands that are part of Krabi’s province. The cats were stranded by their owners after Covid played havoc with Phi Phi’s tourism.

Thai PBS says the owners worked on the island or were entrepreneurs that had to leave the islands due to Covid, under the impression the leave would be temporary. Many of the cat owners have not returned to collect their cats after it became clear tourists weren’t coming back to Phi Phi in the near future, says Suda Klinchuen, a volunteer.

Local officials attempted to keep the cat population under control through mass sterilisation, but it proved unsuccessful. Suda says many cats can be seen along the Phi Phi streets, waiting to be fed by volunteers. She adds that volunteers started feeding the cats since March of last year. The volunteers say they feed the cats twice a day.

“A lot of them were starving”, says Suda.

A Facebook page, where people can make donations, has been established to help the starving cats. Back in October 2020, a man was arrested for allegedly torturing cats at Koh Phi Phi hotels.

SOURCE: Thai PBS