Two women are on a mission to set up cat cafés across Malta that would contain feral cats to one location and so avoid conflict with locals yet still be an attraction.
Brenda Swift and Joan Baker, president and vice-president of ShareMalta respectively, are two proactive animal lovers who are working hard to garner support for their cause.
Their first pilot project will be in Rabat and the mayor, Frank Fabri, has already allocated a patch of land in a rundown garden where the cat café can be set up.
Ms Baker estimates that there are about 1,000 strays roaming Rabat and the plan is to eventually run more than one or two cafés in the locality.
The women want both cats and locals to co-exist happily so they have roped in a number of students from the Rabat school to go around homes to gauge the opinion of residents on strays. They are aware that stray animals can be a problem and, if left unchecked, feral populations can lead to a huge number of cats, sick animals, noise and smell.
ShareMalta would like to tap EU funds to start off the project and they are also working with the Rabat parish priest to involve the entire community.
Cat cafés are the perfect answer to the prevailing problems because the cats in the colony can be caught and neutered before being released back once they regain their energy.
The women need the temporary use of a garage where neutered cats can be kept overnight to recover, unless people come forward offering to home them for a brief stay.
ShareMalta - Support for Homeless Animals, Research and Education - is a voluntary organisation that works primarily in research and education in schools, teaching citizenship skills, while working with animals.
Both Ms Swift and Ms Baker have worked tirelessly to support other sanctuaries and they are now focusing a lot on education. Last summer they were going around schools instilling in students citizenship skills and teaching values and respect towards animals.
They have also held meetings with Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino and will be submitting proposals on the concept of Pets As Therapy (PAT), which shows that pets can help reduce blood pressure and serve as a means of therapy in old people's homes and hospitals.
ShareMalta is working alongside the government and other organisations to plan a National Animal Neutering Policy, while developing a strategy to implement micro-chipping combined with heavier penalties for animal cruelty and abandonment.
It is also building an interactive website of news, tips, missing animals, pet training and associated services, true rescue stories and images of cats and dogs recommended for re-homing.
ShareMalta welcomes any help it can get, whether that is a secretary, drivers, foster carers, organisers and teachers. At the moment, it also has a number of kittens for adoption.
"It is important that these 'special' animals are cared for in a sensitive and loving environment and will always remain a house cat because, if they are let out, they would not survive. Cats such as these, which have been taken in, give a lot of unconditional love to their owners just like special children," Ms Swift said.
For information one can call on 9921 9815. Otherwise donations can be sent to the HSBC account 64056153001.
www.sharemalta.com