Gili islands - Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air - are three small, beautiful islands close to Lombok in Indonesia (about 1,5 hours from Bali with a fastboat). More and more tourists come every year to enjoy the sandy beaches and crystal clear waters and relaxed island life.
There are cats everywhere in the islands. Some have homes, some don't, some have a relaxing life as beach bums around the beach restaurants, some prefer the local villages. Cats of Gili Islands have funny tails: short, long, bended, curly... there's no limit to the tail models here! And the cats are born with their weird tails, so no worries: no-one is doing anything to the tails to make them look so strange!
Most cats of the islands are healthy and do well, begging food from tourists or even stealing if you look the other way, taking a nap in the shade when the sun is too hot, climbing trees, playing with other cats and chasing small crabs on the beach. But there are problems too: breeding is out of control, and as much as we all love kittens, there are too many. There is cat flu, worms, skin, ear and eye infections, horse carts going too fast and running over cats etc. It's heartbreaking to see sick and hurt cats.
Unfortunately, there is no vet in the island. Sometimes a vet from Lombok comes to visit, and about once a year Gili Eco Trust and Jakarta Animal Aid organize a week long animal clinics, when dozens of cats are being neutered. That is good work, but with hundreds of cats around, it has been impossible to reach every pair of balls and ovaries around! Something needs to be done!
So, cats are around, and they are many! This blog is dedicated to the cats of Gili Islands. There will be stories and photos of the island cats, reports on vet visits and anything else regarding the purring island life.
Whether you live on the islands, or are just visiting, or just love cats: this is a blog for you! And while you're at it, why don't you go to Facebook and like our page there too!
Stay tuned! More stories will follow soon!
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