Life for the Cats of Milos.. the quiet season
When summer fades and the season quietens down with restaurants closing until next season and the amounts of people visiting the island starts to slow down making a harsher reality for the hundreds of stray cats who call this island home.
The end of the tourist season isn’t peaceful, it’s a fight to survive.
From Abundance to Absence
During the busy summer months, the cats of Milos are surrounded by life. Tourists feed them food, locals leave out water and food also, and kind visitors often bring food and water. For a few fleeting months, the cats are noticed loved, photographed, and fed.
But as the season ends, so does their safety net. When the island empties, food sources vanish overnight. Restaurants close their doors, bins are locked, and the streets grow silent. The same cats that were surrounded by kindness are suddenly alone, searching for food that isn’t there.
The Harsh Reality of Winter
The quiet season in Milos is cold, wet, and unforgiving. With next to none / few shelters or safe places to hide, many cats struggle against hypothermia, dehydration, and starvation. Kittens born in late summer often don’t survive the first storm. The island’s single vet faces a challenging task with limited funding, countless cats in need, and very little support once the tourists have gone.
Without community feeding programs or regular TNR (Trap–Neuter–Return), the population keeps growing even in winter. Pregnant females give birth to kittens that won’t survive the cold, continuing a cycle of suffering that breaks hearts every year.
Why TNR Matters Even More in the Quiet Season
TNR isn’t just about controlling numbers, it’s about protection. Cats that are neutered are healthier, calmer, and less likely to roam into danger searching for food or mates. When colonies are stabilised, they can be safely monitored and fed by locals and volunteers who stay year-round.
Supporting TNR before the quiet season begins means fewer starving kittens, fewer injuries, and fewer desperate cats struggling to survive the winter.
What We’re Doing and How You Can Help
For the Cats of Milos is raising funds to support:
Help fund feeding across the island
TNR programs to prevent more suffering next season
Medical care and food for injured or sick cats left behind
Support for the local vet, who carries the weight of this crisis year after year
Every donation, no matter how small, helps provide warmth, food, and safety for a cat that would otherwise be forgotten once the island goes quiet.
A Voice, A Chance, A Future
Together, we can make sure they are not forgotten when the world turns away. Through compassion, action, and awareness, we can give the cats of Milos a voice, a chance, and a future.
