THE GIANTS OF TOURISM

Summers 2002 & 2003
At last the 5 star hotels of Marmaris and Icmeler have come to realise the need for control / sterilization, rather than disposing of the cats in the mountains or rubbish dumps. Now one or two hotels are assisting us in our efforts to round up the cats for neutering and allowing them to be re-released in their gardens.
For me, the greatest of these giants is the Mares hotel between Marmaris and Icmeler.
They have done much more than assist us every year, like any other hotel, bar, restaurant they have too many cats, they actually approached me for information how to deal with this problem like others they too used to get rid of the cats!! But it never changed anything. Now because they accepted our way, their cat problem is completely under control. And for this they have:
1. Built a cat feeding area in the hotel grounds
2. Paid for the hotel cats to be vaccinated and dewormed every year
3. Given us an apartment to use as surgery twice a year when Karin Potter comes with her vets
4. Given us free accommodation and food for voluntary vets from Europe (out of high season of course)
5. Have two quarantine cages built each year for the shelter
6. Provide used pillows, blankets, sheets, baskets, etc for the shelter when required
7. Given a monthly donation towards food of 100 Euro (we have of course taken new cats to the shelter)
For all this, all we have to do is control for any new incoming cats for sterilization and removed to the shelter.
For a five star hotel, it is warm and friendly with great atmosphere and a good attitude towards animals. I would like to thank the General manager Mr. Unal bey (who really is an animal lover) also the housekeeper Emine hanim (who is actually afraid of cats, but not afraid to support us. I would also like to thank the personell of the Mares hotel, who have always given me their time when I have been in the hotel catching cats. Some of whick have actually caught the cats themselves when I have failed. Well done Mares!!

The Aqua Hotel in Icmeler have supported us in a different way. They too provide food for "their" sterilized garden cats, and for our help they offered something much better than a single donation....
They gave us permission to hold a fundraising stall in their garden on the beach. It was super, a busy promenade, lots of tourists, we were able to average 150 Euros per day, twice a week. We had a lovely cat from the hotel who would sit at the donation box we named him K.C. (Kermez Kedi - fundraising cat) in return for his help we found him a home in Germany at the end of the season.
So we thank the owner Dogan bey and general manager Mr Herman very much for their support and generosity.
I do hope we can find more hotels with such understanding!
Thank you again!!

TURUNC
Turunç is the next holiday village along the coast from Içmeler and is becoming more popular each year with Europeans.
I was contacted by Allison who lives and works there with her husband in tourism. She told me of the plight of the cat population there and asked if I could help.
I was happy to help because being the closest village to Içmeler, this meant that the locals would round up and 'dumping' their unwanted cats in Içmeler. Thanks to the persistent work of Steffannie Goebels of the Aqua Hotel and Ulya Atay a resident of Içmeler, the sterilisation program is succeeding in Içmeler therefore it would be logical to start a campaign in Turunç and try and stop the 'dumping' of cats in Içmeler.
At the end of September before I became infirmed with a slipped disk, Allison's husband picked me up and I spent the day in Turunç operating un-neutered males. This was all I could do at that time.
Whilst in Turunç I spoke with a Mr Ali Fides who hopes to be the next Mayor of Turunç. I told him of my plans to find vets from Europe to come to Turkey to help with sterlization of cats. He immediately offered accommodation, great!!! First step completed . . .
Now we have to band together some locals who are willing to feed and control the cat colonies and also catch the cats during the vets visits.
We don't believe in going in, operating on the cats and them leaving them to fend for themselves after their sterilization. Unfortunately our work in Içmeler and Marmaris is nevr ending therefore we need new people in Turunç - anybody interested in helping please contact me.