Cats, Stats and Moving

Villa Kitty is rapidly approaching the date when we must take on the mammoth feat of relocating the entire shelter to the new site. Yet we still have so much to accomplish before the move to the new shelter can be made possible. We have only raised a fraction of the funds we need and the construction of our new future home depends entirely on our fundraising campaign. The more aid that is provided by compassionate supporters, the faster we can make our new home a reality.

This month Villa Kitty compiled statistics so our supporters can see the many cats and kittens that have been saved over the last half decade. The numbers also demonstrate growing demand and why the new shelter is essential to keep up with that demand and to reduce infections and ultimately mortality.

As the requests for aid have risen, we have had to increasingly deal with being overwhelmed, particularly as our team numbers remain the same. While we would love to add to our team, it is difficult to find the funds and people willing to sustain the challenging role of working in a shelter. Plus we have to be mindful of space in the current shelter, which dictates staff numbers.

A crucial factor in managing rising requests and numbers is to reduce cats and kittens coming into the shelter. The best option is to expand the desexing program and the veterinary care program to offer more assistance to people who cannot afford unsubsidised veterinary care. This allows animals to remain with their families or rescuers who can feed and house them but for whom regular medical care is unaffordable. However, this can only happen once we make the move to the new shelter, where we will have adequate room and where we will be able to provide most veterinary care on site.

The Veterinary Care Program

The average number of cats and kittens treated at Villa Kitty and at an external veterinary clinic is about 250-300 per month. Once the new hospital is running, the majority of animals will be treated on site. This will reduce monthly costs, as the veterinary care program consumes the bulk of funds at present. It will also eliminate the costs and stress of transporting animals to and from the external clinic. In turn, this will enable us to increase the level of assistance we can offer to animals and people within the community.

Cats and Kittens Arriving at the Shelter

Monthly intakes have doubled from 2017 onwards due to multiple factors: increasing need, Villa Kitty growing in prominence, and as a consequence of natural disasters on Bali and surrounds. Since 2017 we have been receiving over 1000 cats and kittens per year.

In 2020 Covid-19 erupted, bringing the tourism industry to its knees. The pandemic decimated adoptions and the foster care network, as tourists and non-residents fled the island, with many forced to leave their cats behind.

The effects of the pandemic have continued in 2021. Over 400 cats have arrived at the shelter as of May, and we will likely exceed all previous years in terms of intakes.

Cats and Kittens in Shelter

Villa Kitty shelters between 280 and 320 cats and kittens at any given time. We work to keep animals with their families as much as possible, and we hope to increase this when we have our new modern hospital. But the last decade has taught us that we have to be ready to accommodate up to 300 cats at any one time.

Villa Kitty has a small foster care program but due to Covid-19, our foster care network decreased. However, we will look at expanding this network, focusing more on residents once the big project of building the new shelter is finished.

Forever Homes and Fostering

This year we have found homes for 90 cats and kittens, but in comparison to previous years, 2021 will likely see the least amount of adoptions of the last half decade. We also found fosters for 86 but again that means far less than in 2020. Further, this is all in the context of increasing requests for help and the ongoing aftermath of Covid-19.

Desexing

Desexing has been increasing each year, with 2021 on track to be our biggest year, as we have already desexed over 200 cats.

• In the years 2011-2016 between 100 and 150 cats were sterilised annually.

• In 2017 this doubled and each subsequent year over 400 cats and kittens have been sterilised.

At present, Villa Kitty carries out sterilisations approximately 10 days out of each month.

In the new shelter and hospital, the sterilisation and vaccination program will be developed to eventually be carried out most days of the week. This would mean an increase of more than twice the number of sterilisations undertaken annually at present.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations have also been increasing significantly each year, with close to 500 already vaccinated this year.

• In 2011-2016 just under 400 cats were vaccinated annually.

• In 2017 this began to significantly increase by hundreds each year reaching the highest number in 2020, with 1,139 cats vaccinated.

Deaths

The very painful issue of death is something that we must deal with every day and due to the panleukopenia virus, there has been a spike in cats and kittens perishing. Moving to the new shelter and hospital will be a major factor in reducing the number of kittens who succumb to this terrible disease. At present, the cramped conditions and deteriorating shelter exacerbate the risks. Once we have our own modern hospital, we will no longer have to rely on external veterinary care, and we will have complete control over infection protocols and patient treatment.

The Villa Kitty Team

Villa Kitty is a team of 30 people who work 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. A body of 30 staff might sound like a comprehensive team, but when you factor in that the work is 24 hours per day, every day, the number is just enough to keep things going. Further, we will have to increase staff numbers by several people in the coming months.

Villa Kitty also has a tiny team of volunteers who do the communications, grant seeking and financial side of operations.

We will continue in our mission to provide aid and to keep pace with rising requests to help the suffering cats and kittens of Bali.

The generosity of supporters has the power to fast-track our move to the new shelter and hospital. Importantly, supporters can assist us with making the nursery operational as a first priority - this would allow us to transfer and keep all kittens at the new site, reducing the sad numbers of kittens we are losing to the panleukopenia virus. This in turn would have positive effects on the morale of staff, motivating everyone to keep battling it out in this challenging environment.

Help us save more little lives and support our campaign for the New Shelter and Hospital.