The Mediterranean 'island of cats' is facing disaster as 300,000 felines are estimated to have died from a cat coronavirus, say animal advocates

Tasmin Lockwood
Updated ·3 min read
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  • An outbreak of feline coronavirus is killing off cats on a Mediterranean island known for its strays.

  • Some 300,000 are estimated to have died since January.

  • A feline medicine specialist said that its scale "has never been seen in living or reported history."

A feline coronavirus is wreaking havoc on cat populations in Cyprus as hundreds of thousands have died since January in what could be the largest-ever outbreak.

Stray cats are an iconic feature of many parts of Southern Europe and the Middle East. They lounge on walls, soak up the sun in the street, and sit on outdoor tables. In Cyprus, it is estimated that there are as many cats as there are humans, and it is sometimes called the 'island of cats.' It is said that felines were brought to the island to hunt venomous snakes.

But 300,000 have died after a coronavirus outbreak that causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), per media reports quoting Dinos Ayiomamitis of animal rights groups Cat Paws Cyprus and Cyprus Voice for Animals.

FIP symptoms include fever, abdominal swelling, and going off food. It is almost always fatal without treatment, according to Cornell University.

It can't be spread to humans.

A domestic cat suffering from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is in quarantine at a veterinary clinic in Nicosia on June 20, 2023. A new strain of feline coronavirus, Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) -- which is not transmittable to humans -- is wreaking havoc on the prolific cat population of Cyprus.

Just 107 cases have officially been recorded, but Ayiomamitis argued the real number is much higher. His calculation is based on an estimated 20% to 30% mortality rate among Cyprus' one million cats, many of them strays, according to Channel 4 FactCheck.

The outbreak "started in the capital city of Nicosia in January and spread throughout the whole island within three to four months," Demetris Epaminondas, vice-president of the Pancyprian Veterinary Association, told the Daily Mail.

Veterinarian Kostis Larkou tends to a cat suffering from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), at clinic in Nicosia on June 20, 2023.
Veterinarian Kostis Larkou tends to a cat suffering from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), at clinic in Nicosia on June 20, 2023.Photo by CHRISTINA ASSI/AFP via Getty Images

Its scale "has never been seen in living or reported history," Danièlle Gunn-Moore, a feline medicine specialist at the University of Edinburgh, told the Telegraph. She said that there had been a rise in reports of dead cats in the streets

Gunn-Moore added that it could mean a stronger strain of FIP is circulating and pointed to anecdotal evidence of outbreaks in Lebanon, Turkey, and "potentially" Israel.

Domesticated cats are being held at clinics to avoid infection, the Daily Mail reported.

Cyprus' relationship with cats goes back to the early days of human history. Bones of domesticated cats have been found near human graves that date back 7,000 to 7,500 BC.

A monastery on Cyprus is dedicated to 'St. Nicholas of the Cats' was once said to have two bells; one to people call to prayer and a second to call the cats, per Reuters.

Editor's note, July 17, 2023: The headline and first paragraph of this story have been updated to specify the outbreak has been caused by a feline-specific coronavirus and not the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

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