El Nido Cat Sanctuary

THE STRAY PROBLEM OF EL NIDO
There used to be 0 veterinary clinics in El Nido. There are a few veterinarians and animal experts in the area, but anything more than an anti-rabies shot will have you travelling 5-6 hours on land just for a proper assessment. Here most households are willing to take care of dogs for the protection and companionship they offer but cats on the other hand are generally seen as pests rather than pets. Given the lack of facilities and proper awareness, locals allow their cats to breed at such an alarming rate leaving them with kittens they're not capable of taking care of.  One litter of kittens is often too much for most households and the lack of knowledge and options leaves them thinking their best choice is to put all of the kittens in a sack, drive them some several miles away and drop them off by the road. The lucky ones are found by concerned citizens or are able to adjust to the wild, what happens to the rest doesn't require much guesswork.  

FERAL CATS ARE A PROBLEM
In the US, house cats are one of the biggest threats birds face in the wild—they kill somewhere between 1.3 and 4 billion birds every year. Don't let the oversaturation of cute cat videos fool you, cats are still one of the most ruthless predators and even household cats have their vicious instincts intact. They'll pounce at birds, rodents, and insects when they're in their hunting modes and for an island paradise home to rich biodiversity, this is a big issue that rarely gets any exposure.

STRIKING A BALANCE
I love cats. Ever since my second year (2016) teaching here in El Nido I've been taking in the strays that I come across and they've become a part of my family here. At most I've had  close to 20 cats in my tiny 3x3sq meter room (luckily there's a lot of space outside and they're free to run around and explore, to the dismay of my neighbors)(and to the distress of the countless birds, bats, and rats they've offered to me). I try to have as many as I can rehomed and adopted, but I've also lost a lot to various undiagnosed health issues or tragic incidents. Right now I'm taking care of 13 cats, 3 dogs, and a puppy, on a teacher's salary in a developing country. I've long dreamed of providing my fur babies a permanent home and lifelong care and this of course extends to all the undercared and underserved, which does include what they consider prey. El Nido Cat Sanctuary will aim to do both: give humane care to the abandoned and abused cats of El Nido, while actng as a catalyst to proper population control of household and feral cats in the locality.

EL NIDO CAT SANCTUARY
—No-Kill animal shelter focused on cats.
—Rescue operations focused on abandoned and abused cats in areas that are known to have higher populations of endemic/endangered bird species
—Hub for TNR operations.
—An in-house vet clinic will be developed to provide normal vet services for locals as well as a means to have more regular spay and neuter programs and events
—Will be seeking to educate the public through its development as an educational tourist destination and through partnerships with local organizations and schools.
—Will apply as a 501c(3) non profit organisation. Funding will be obtained through donations, tie-ups with local businesses, assistance from the local government, application for grants, the pull of tourism, and crowdfunding efforts.

HOW TO SUPPORT

Check out our social media accounts for more information:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/elnidocatsanctuary

IG: https://www.instagram.com/elnidocatsanctuary (@catsofelnido)