"The Mayor Arrived and Brought 10 Kilograms of Food." A Belarusian Woman and a Polish Woman Opened a Temporary Home for Homeless Cats in Poland

Kristina told Most how this idea was born, what daily care for dozens of cats looks like, and how the city mayor helped the shelter.

"I thought I would only help Belarusian cats from a distance"

For the last nine years, Kristina lived in Europe. Then she had to return to Belarus for a year. In the area where she rented a house, there were many homeless cats. She fed them, treated them, sterilized them, and found them new families. Afterward, she moved to Poland with her husband and two of her own cats.

— I thought I would only help Belarusian cats financially, from a distance. But it turned out differently," Kristina recounts.

In Tczew, where the woman now lives, she also noticed many homeless cats and began to feed them. Soon she realized that the problem of homeless animals in the city was much more serious.

When a particularly cold winter arrived, Kristina sought help in a local Facebook group. She explained that she had come from Belarus, knew no one there, but was feeding homeless cats, one of whom was suffering from a viral disease causing eye inflammation.

Quotas for Free Sterilization are Allocated by City Authorities

Several women who also fed the city cats responded to the call. Soon they organized a meeting with the city mayor — another nine women attended. They asked for help with free sterilization. Prior to this, Kristina had already written to the city administration (Urząd Miasta) about the kitten situation. A month later, a response came: the administration would provide free sterilization.

Павялічыць

Help is organized as follows: a volunteer contacts the Urząd Miasta or ZWiK — a water supply and municipal services company — at the end or beginning of the year. They describe the situation and report how many homeless animals need to be sterilized. In response, they receive an allocated number of free procedures, specifying a particular veterinary clinic and doctor.

The quota is not open-ended — it usually lasts three to four months. If it's not used in time or an extension isn't requested promptly, the right to free sterilization is lost. Volunteers can, however, transfer their quotas to each other.

"The Mayor Arrived — And Took All Bills Upon Himself"

At the meeting with the city mayor, Kristina recalls, she and another woman — the Polish woman Karolina — "at their own risk" asked for a dedicated space for homeless animals.

— Animals need to be housed somewhere after surgery. Not everyone has a spare room or, for example, a basement," Kristina says.

The mayor allocated a space — two small rooms in a separate house. They were not in the best condition: Kristina's husband had to plaster and paint the walls, and mold, which they thought they had gotten rid of, would reappear from time to time.

Initially, the volunteers were supposed to pay for electricity and water themselves. But after the shelter started operating, they invited the mayor to see the results.

— He came, brought 10 kilograms of food, paid for the installation of ventilation — it cost 15,000 zlotys (3,500 euros) — and since then, all bills have been paid by the mayor's office. Recently, the city allocated another 1,000 zlotys (230 euros) for the purchase of four cages," Kristina recounts.

Home for 30 Cats

Thus began the operation of the temporary cat home Koci Raj ("Cat's Paradise"). Currently, there are over 30 animals here. The house has a room with cages for sick cats and a room for those who can move freely. Separate cages are designated for small kittens who are still too young to run around with the others.

— We currently have a quarantine: giardia — parasites that are difficult to get rid of — were found in one of the cats, so now all animals will undergo a course of treatment.

All of Kristina's charges regularly visit a veterinarian who lives not far from their home. The clinic provided them with a 10-percent discount. They have to travel further to the veterinarians who perform sterilizations under agreement with the city — the women get there by taxi.

"My Back, Honestly, Can't Take It Anymore"

Essentially, there are no permanent volunteers at the shelter: Kristina and Karolina manage on their own. Sometimes another girl helps, and an acquaintance, a Polish woman, occasionally helps with trips.

— If someone expresses a desire to help, we are very happy, because, honestly, my back can't take it anymore," Kristina admits.

Daily duties include cleaning the enclosures, changing the litter, and frequent trips with the animals to veterinarians. The women come to the shelter twice a day, and they try to divide weekends so that each has at least one day off per week.

Павялічыць

Highest Expenses — On Veterinarians

Maintaining the animals requires constant expenses. For cat litter alone, about 30 bags are needed per month — approximately 15 kilograms per day. Per day, the animals eat about 20 cans of wet food, not counting dry food.

The biggest expenditure is visits to veterinarians. For one visit with three cats, they had to pay 1,186 zlotys (275 euros), and together with additional tests, the total amount for two days exceeded 2,000 zlotys (465 euros).

The charges suffer from various diseases — these include Horner's syndrome (a neurological disorder resulting from damage to nerve pathways to the eye, usually manifesting as a drooping eyelid, constricted pupil, and a slightly sunken eye), and Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). The latter is a severe viral disease that develops from a mutated coronavirus and was long considered almost fatal. Several other cats have been diagnosed with coronavirus, which, according to Kristina, is more likely in a "dormant" state, similar to herpes in humans.

To cover all major expenses — veterinary services and medication purchases — Kristina organizes fundraisers. Afterward, she always reports back to those who helped: she sends receipts for medications and paid visits.

"Kittens Are Adopted Very Quickly"

When possible, volunteers find new families for the animals. It's usually easier to rehome kittens, but finding owners for adult cats is more difficult.

— Kittens are adopted very quickly, so we don't worry about them. But many first need to be treated for cat flu, especially when their eyes are matted. Sometimes adult cats are also taken, but to have all of them adopted at once — that, of course, doesn't happen," Kristina explains.

Павялічыць

According to her observations, Belarusian and Polish homeless cats differ in behavior: in Belarus, almost every one could be tamed, whereas in Poland there are many more truly wild and timid animals. Kristina and Karolina have a special approach to such cats: they finish their treatment, sterilize, vaccinate, and release them back to where local residents typically already care for them. But, according to Kristina, there aren't many such cases.

— Sometimes it happens that three adult cats are adopted into new families in one day, and then five small kittens are brought in. It's like a cycle in nature — our home is never empty," she says.

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