HAVANA (AP) – Every afternoon, 81-year-old Nélida Pérez begins his familiar walk in the world. Old Havanaa procession of hungry cats heading behind her.
For years, Perez has taken it to himself to feed some of the street cats roaming this part of the town, one of the Cuban capital’s most popular tourist attractions. She once relied on donations to her food and restaurants, but like an island The economic situation has deteriorated And tourism is declining and it is becoming increasingly difficult to provide them.
“In my life, I’ve never asked anyone to plate food to feed my cat,” Perez told The Associated Press. “Now, I’m in a difficult situation due to lack of tourism and an economic crisis.”
Since 2020, Cuba has faced a worsening economic crisis driven by the Covid-19 closure. Severe US sanctionsand internal financial reforms that sparked inflation.
Nelida Perez Gonzalez is raising stray cats in Havana on Thursday, July 24th, 2025 (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
The government offers vaccines, sterilization and several free clinics, but there is no way to provide shelter or food to street cats and dogs. Official data is not available, but activists say many pet lovers have turned their homes into shelters, but are struggling to keep up with demand and provide proper care.
“The streets kill them,” said Barbara Iglesias, a 51-year-old pharmacist, who recruited five dogs and rescued them for a dozen other people to find the home. Iglesias explained that the most difficult part is getting food. A bag of 20kg (44 pounds) per dog for about 45 days is around $80. This causes people to feed the animals with pig organ meat (ofral), chicken parts, or minced meat. This is also not easy to get.
Plus, the annual vaccine costs around $20 and an additional $10 for veterinary visits, but the average monthly salary on the island is around $12.
Experts say the abandonment of Cuban animals is the result of several factors, including rising prices for food and medicine. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans migrated Over the past five years, the rate of mortality among elderly people has been high.
“People are more focused on their problems. That’s a lot. Cubans have no water, no electricity, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get food,” said Annely Gonzalez, one of the leaders of the Alderamelos Project, a cat colony in the park at Havana’s History Center.
On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, stray cats will be fed from a sheltered cat colony, “Proyecto aldameros,” in a park in Havana’s historic area.
“Having an animal that cares for you requires eating and compassion,” said Gonzalez, 36, who works as a restaurant manager and spends a lot of money on cats.
She and a small group of volunteers began eating 15 cats at Alderameros Park at the beginning of the pandemic. Today they care for over 150. Over the years, through their own efforts and several donations, they were able to install water pumps, pens and kitten cages for special cases.
Gonzalez points to the number she said she revealed the shocking magnitude of the issue. At the beginning of the decade, about three abandoned cats appeared in the park every week. This year, that figure has skyrocketed to 15 per day.
Back in old Havana, Perez speaks to his grief, recounting how he saw people kill abuse, beat and even stray cats.
“As long as I’m alive and healthy, and people can help me,” she vowed.
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