The Lamu Archipelago, just off the coast of Kenya, is a paradise for tourists, but a nightmare for around 10,000 sick and suffering street cats.
Every day, the cats of Lamu are locked into a desperate fight for survival.
Cats with faces disfigured by cancerous growths. Kittens with swollen, pus-filled eyes sealed shut from rampant cat flu. Skin raw and fur missing from mange. Bones broken from motorbike collisions. And always, the looming threat of rabies.
This is the heartbreaking reality cats are born into. But with your help, we are changing their fate.
The street cats of Lamu, Kenya, are trapped in an endless cycle of sickness and suffering. Credit: NFA/Byron Seale
Network for Animals has been helping cats in Lamu since 2021. Over the past four years, we have vaccinated and sterilized 3,500 cats across Lamu and Pate Islands, alongside our dedicated local partners, Ian Kiringa and the Kenya Small and Companion Animal Veterinary Association (KESCAVA).
Thanks to your support, we are seeing the impact of our work first-hand. The cats on the islands are much healthier, cases of cat flu are declining, and far fewer kittens are struggling to survive on the streets.
We are breaking the cycle of suffering for street cats in Lamu – but now, all the progress we have made is at risk.
Thanks to your support, we have sterilized thousands of cats in Lamu, Kenya – but thousands more still need us. Credit: NFA/Byron Seale
We have nearly run out of funds, and thousands of cats in Lamu still desperately need our help.
To keep the momentum going, we are shifting to a more sustainable approach. Instead of costly, large-scale sterilization campaigns a handful of times a year, we plan to send a vet to Lamu every month to sterilize and vaccinate up to 100 cats at a time.
Please help us continue to give the cats of Lamu the gift of healthier lives – one sterilization and vaccination at a time. Credit: NFA/Byron Seale
If we reach our goal, we can help 1,200 cats every year – and prevent countless kittens from being born into harsh, miserable lives!
This consistent presence will empower us to monitor the cat population more closely, respond to emergencies and stop population explosions and disease outbreaks before they start.
Every $20 (£15) you give will help us vaccinate and sterilize a street cat in Lamu, protecting them from sickness, suffering and death.
The more we raise, the more cats we can reach, preventing thousands of kittens from being born into lives of misery and pain and giving the cats of Lamu a real chance at healthier, happier and safer lives.
In 2024 alone, we changed the lives of 1,195 cats through sterilization. But with funds running low, all this good work could be undone. Credit: NFA/Byron Seale
Supporters like you have already helped us make a life-changing difference for thousands of these vulnerable cats. But the crisis isn’t over yet, and thousands more are waiting to be saved. With your help, we can and will reach them all.
Please, give today to help us reach more cats, relieve more suffering and break the cruel cycle of birth, disease and death – one sterilization and vaccination at a time.
