Burgas is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the fourth largest in Bulgaria, with a population of nearly 300,000 in its metro area. It is the capital of Burgas Province and an important industrial, transport, cultural, and tourist center in Bulgaria.
The stray cats and their relationship to the citizens of Burgas has been a long-lasting issue. Today there is a very large number of stray cats in the city. We estimate more than 20’000. They live by their wits, mainly feeding on garbage, and often become sick and injured. If you drive a car on the streets of Burgas, then chances are you will see cats run over and crushed on the pavement. You will invariably see cats starving and in pain. As they are relatively wild, desperate street cats can become aggressive towards people—sometimes even biting them and transmitting disease; it’s no wonder under such circumstances that harmonious coexistence between cats and humans seems to be an impossible dream.
To protect and enhance the lives of stray cats in Bulgaria by promoting healthy relationships between cats and people.
The Cats of Burgas vision is to build a cat-focused humane society providing shelter, adoption, placement, lost and found, safety net and veterinary services for the street cats of Burgas, and a leading voice in promoting healthy cat-human relationships throughout Bulgaria and Europe.
We embody:
- Integrity and high ethics in everything we do
- Passion for cats and people
- Creativity in solving problems
- Empathy for street cats and adoptive families
Cats of Burgas is working toward a solution to the street cat problem on two fronts:
First, we are advocating for the expansion of the government’s trap-neuter-release (TNR) program. TNR is a globally applied model and is considered the most humane and cost-effective method of controlling stray populations.
Currently, the neutering rate in Burgas is roughly 2,000 cats per year, and this rate has remained relatively constant over the last five years. Cats reproduce very quickly and begin doing so at the young age of 4 months. An adult female gives birth to an average of four kittens twice a year. Thus, in just two years, a female cat can give birth to 64 new kittens through its offspring, and in 10 years the number can increase exponentially to 50,000 new homeless cats. Thus, it makes sense that the cat population increases exponentially over time, and a constant spay/neuter rate can’t contain it if it’s too low, to begin with. And it is evident that the current TNR rate is far too low. This is one key reason why the city cannot see an improvement in cat homelessness under the current approach.
Expanding the TNR program would be the first part of a possible solution, but would not by itself solve the problem of miserable living conditions for street cats and the unhealthy relationship between cats and people in the city.
To bring about a change in this area, we advocate creating Bulgaria’s first cat shelter. This would follow the model employed in the past for stray dogs: first, the castration rate was increased to control the population; and second, the dogs were placed in a dog shelter and adopted out. This proved to be effective and saved the lives of many dogs, which now get to live with loving families. Today, there are no more stray dogs in Burgas, and this is exactly what we think should be done for the stray cats.
To enact our two-step plan, we initiated talks with government officials of the city of Burgas, including the deputy mayor and head of ecology. Our conversations thus far have been open and productive, and we have been invited to present our ideas to the Burgas city council later this year. Our partnership with city authorities will be an integral part of our success. We also plan to start a virtual adoption program shortly, in advance of the establishment of the shelter.
STREET CATS OF BURGAS
Burgas is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the fourth largest in Bulgaria, with a population of nearly 300,000 in its metro area. It is the capital of Burgas Province and an important industrial, transport, cultural, and tourist center in Bulgaria.
The stray cats and their relationship to the citizens of Burgas has been a long-lasting issue. Today there is a very large number of stray cats in the city. We estimate more than 20’000. They live by their wits, mainly feeding on garbage, and often become sick and injured. If you drive a car on the streets of Burgas, then chances are you will see cats run over and crushed on the pavement. You will invariably see cats starving and in pain. As they are relatively wild, desperate street cats can become aggressive towards people—sometimes even biting them and transmitting disease; it’s no wonder under such circumstances that harmonious coexistence between cats and humans seems to be an impossible dream.
OUR MISSION
To protect and enhance the lives of stray cats in Bulgaria by promoting healthy relationships between cats and people.
OUR VISION
The Cats of Burgas vision is to build a cat-focused humane society providing shelter, adoption, placement, lost and found, safety net and veterinary services for the street cats of Burgas, and a leading voice in promoting healthy cat-human relationships throughout Bulgaria and Europe.
OUR VALUES
We embody:
- Integrity and high ethics in everything we do
- Passion for cats and people
- Creativity in solving problems
- Empathy for street cats and adoptive families
OUR CALL TO ACTION
Cats of Burgas is working toward a solution to the street cat problem on two fronts:
First, we are advocating for the expansion of the government’s trap-neuter-release (TNR) program. TNR is a globally applied model and is considered the most humane and cost-effective method of controlling stray populations.
Currently, the neutering rate in Burgas is roughly 2,000 cats per year, and this rate has remained relatively constant over the last five years. Cats reproduce very quickly and begin doing so at the young age of 4 months. An adult female gives birth to an average of four kittens twice a year. Thus, in just two years, a female cat can give birth to 64 new kittens through its offspring, and in 10 years the number can increase exponentially to 50,000 new homeless cats. Thus, it makes sense that the cat population increases exponentially over time, and a constant spay/neuter rate can’t contain it if it’s too low, to begin with. And it is evident that the current TNR rate is far too low. This is one key reason why the city cannot see an improvement in cat homelessness under the current approach.
Expanding the TNR program would be the first part of a possible solution, but would not by itself solve the problem of miserable living conditions for street cats and the unhealthy relationship between cats and people in the city.
To bring about a change in this area, we advocate creating Bulgaria’s first cat shelter. This would follow the model employed in the past for stray dogs: first, the castration rate was increased to control the population; and second, the dogs were placed in a dog shelter and adopted out. This proved to be effective and saved the lives of many dogs, which now get to live with loving families. Today, there are no more stray dogs in Burgas, and this is exactly what we think should be done for the stray cats.
To enact our two-step plan, we initiated talks with government officials of the city of Burgas, including the deputy mayor and head of ecology. Our conversations thus far have been open and productive, and we have been invited to present our ideas to the Burgas city council later this year. Our partnership with city authorities will be an integral part of our success. We also plan to start a virtual adoption program shortly, in advance of the establishment of the shelter.