Police have launched an investigation after 25 cats vanished from a Larnaca cemetery in two months, with animal carers reporting what they believe are systematic poisonings and deliberate attempts to starve the colony.
Volunteers feeding the cats at Meneou cemetery say someone keeps removing food and water they leave out, whilst cats continue to disappear and show signs of poisoning.
The Movement of Ecologists warned that criminal offences appear to be taking place at the site. The scale of disappearances – roughly 25 cats in just eight weeks – points to deliberate acts rather than natural causes, the group said.
Volunteers who care for the colony told the movement they’ve reached despair.
Local police told the party they’ll investigate and run frequent patrols to catch whoever is targeting the animals.
The movement urged anyone with information to contact police.
Anthi Mouzouri, who coordinates the party’s animal action unit, said: “We’re living in 2025 and there must finally be respect and love for animals. The way a society treats its animals reflects its true face. Let’s all ask ourselves what kind of society we want to live in. A society where vulnerable creatures are exterminated and abandoned with barbarity, or a world where animals are protected?”
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