Cats without homes

I’ve always loved cats and my home doesn’t seem right without a feline friend in residence. Sadly though, since moving to Okinawa I’ve seen far too many cats without a home. Some of these stray cats must have been abandoned by their owners and they seem to be everywhere on the island.

One large group of cats congregates near the beach close to my home where a kind local woman feeds them every day. These are in some ways the lucky ones as they are at least assured of some regular food and water. Even so, some may be suffering from eye problems and other health issues and these are just the ones who have survived long enough to grow up.

I wish I could do something to help the cats in our neighbourhood but so far have managed to offer a home to only one of them. Sachi (as I’ve named her) has been living with us for almost two years and has become an important member of our family. She is healthy and affectionate now and has a glossy patterned coat in complete contrast to the thin, scruffy and bedraggled creature we first knew.

I’m occasionally asked what I think are the not-so-good things about Okinawa and I usually respond: military bases, typhoons and traffic jams. To these I would now have to add the sorry sight of so many homeless cats (and I haven’t even mentioned dogs yet!).

The photos show some of the cats I see most days near my local beach.

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