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The Okinawa Cat Project

The Okinawa Cat Project is a program by Okinawa Heartbeat with the purpose of helping the island’s stray cats and supporting volunteers. We feed strays (many of which are abandoned pets), and help find homes for cats who are ready for an indoor life. You can support us by becoming a client of our photography services (and you can even pay us in cat food).

The Stray Cat Problem In Okinawa

Stray cats in Okinawa have a rough go. Volunteer groups around the island work hard to make their lives better by feeding them, caring for then when they’re sick and – to the extent that they can afford the vet bills – getting strays neutered and spayed so they can’t produce more homeless kittens. The problem is, resources are limited. Volunteers, who care deeply about the island’s cats, often dip in to their own pockets to care for them. To understand how valuable such volunteer work is, let’s look at two of the reasons why there is a stray cat problem to begin with, then identify some potential solutions.

Problem #1: Out of Control Breeding

Street cats in Okinawa breed at an alarming rate. This is partially because the island’s climate is subtropical, ranging from unbearably hot to mild, and seldom particularly cold. The long summers and short, mild winters cause fertile female cats to go into heat multiple times in a year. There are enough intact males around to ensure that any female in decent condition will be impregnated as soon as she is in estrus. Whereas in cold climates, female cats can only produce one litter per year, it is not uncommon for female cats in Okinawa to produce two, three or even four litters of kittens. That’s a lot of kittens.

The other reason for the rapid proliferation of kittens is that lots of people feed stray cats. This is a good thing, but when people feed cats without getting them fixed, the cats produce young. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people (particularly lonely seniors) who love to feed cats, but few who want to take responsibility for getting them spayed or neutered. So, the cat population expands accordingly.

Problem #2: Abandoned Cats

Another reason why there are so many strays in Okinawa is the problem of cat abandonment. While I personally feel abandoning an animal is unforgivable (it’s a criminal offense in Japan) the reality is that there are many reasons why a person would abandon a cat.

The first is that the person has to leave the island in a hurry, with no ability to take the cat with them. This is a bit problem in the US military community, but it’s not exclusive to them. A lot of military people adopt cats with every intention of giving them life-long-homes, but their circumstances can change quickly and they can be sent to places that don’t allow cats. Yes, they can and do try to rehome cats, but it’s not easy to rehome an adult cat, especially on short notice.

While leaving Okinawa is a big reason for abandonment, it’s not the only reason. Sometimes a family member develops an allergy, the cat fights with other pets, a cat owner gets married to a person who refuses (or is unable) to live with a cat, or – increasingly often – an elderly owner either passes away, or becomes unable to care for a beloved pet. In such cases, when no new owner can be found, whoever takes charge of the cat often faces a terrible decision. Take it to a kill shelter (like the government facility in Ozato), or let it go on the street, where – at least in theory, it has a chance.

Whatever the reason, abandonment remains a leading cause of homelessness for cats in Okinawa.

Solutions to Okinawa's Stray Cat Problem

There is no ‘silver bullet’ solution to Okinawa’s stray cat problem. However, there are many promising intitiatives that would each go a long way. These are adoption drives, TNR, and education of the general public.

Adoption Drives

Any given weekend, somewhere in Okinawa, adoption events take place where people looking to adopt cats can go and see them in person. These events sometimes result in cats or kittens finding a home, and that’s great. Okinawa needs more of these events.

What’s might be even better is for volunteers who look after street cats to identify cats that might adapt (or re-adapt) to indoor life and work with adoption agencies to place these cats with families. This will help take needy cats directly off the streets and into safe homes.

Aggressive TNR

For as long as there are fertile cats in the streets, there will be unwanted kittens. The only humane way to stop cats from overpopulating in Okinawa is to get them fixed so they don’t breed. So far, TNR (trap, neuter, release) efforts have been met with varying degrees of success.

What’s stopping TNR efforts from being more successful? Money and logistical support. It’s really tough to coordinate all the services, and getting a cat spayed or neutered costs money. Some vets will gracefully give a discount for TNR cats (and clip their ears in the process), but it’s still not cheap. Cages cost money and the cats need a place to recover before they are released back onto the streets. They have to be fed and cared for during this time, and their litters need to be changed frequently. All of this necessitates commitment from a lot of people, and it requires planning.

However, in spite of the difficulty of performing TNR on so many cats, it is necessary. The alternative is to watch helplessly as government officials round up the cats to be gassed in Ozato, or simply poison them right on the streets.

Coordination and Public Education

People who feed cats need to understand the consequences. More feeding means more breeding, more overpopulation and more cats being euthanized. They also need to understand the important role they can play in TNR efforts.

If cat feeders can be asked to keep an eye out for cats that have not been neutered or spayed, they can communicate with rescue volunteers who can organize TNR efforts. Sometimes they might even be able to catch the cats, thereby making it easier for the volunteers.

This will take a lot of coordination among the many various local groups who care for cats, but it is feasible, especially if some of the costs of the education/coordination efforts can be covered by funds we raise for the purpose. There is a need for written resources (i.e. pamphlets in Japanese), along with video and social media messaging aimed at educating and coordinating people who love cats.

Fundraising Efforts

Caring for stray cats can be expensive, and almost nothing can happen without money. That’s why Okinawa Heartbeat dedicated a portion of the money earned through tours and photography to cat rescue and care. Photography clients can even pay for photo services with cat food and litter.

Okinawa Heartbeat is not a charity and don’t ask for donations, but if you want to send us something for the cats, we’d be glad to receive it. Contact us via email or using our contact form if you’d like to get involved.