Portomaso expansion could spell end to cat village

An application for the development of a blok of apartments, with underlying shops, could spell the end of the colourful open air cat village in Spinola Road, but the developers are "committed" to allocate a furnished room for the stray cats.

Speaking to MaltaToday, Portomaso director Ray Fenech said that discussions are underway with those running the village to find an alternative for the stray cats living in the area.  

Fenech insisted that the alternative - for which his company will contribute financially - would be an improvement over the existing village, which he claims causes an inconvenience to residents who complain of smells and noise.

“Our intention is to find a clean finished room in the vicinity of the existing cat village which will include facilities, including sinks and storage space for food …The only condition I want to impose is that the cats are neutered.”

The application set on land between Vjal Portomaso and Spinola Road has been presented by Spinola Developments Co Limited, which owns Portomaso. 

Cat lovers who talked to MaltaToday are objecting to the development, insisting that the cats are highly territorial animals and cannot be easily relocated elsewhere.  They also warned that, if removed from the village, the cats will end sheltering under cars or even attempt to get inside the hotel.

The cat village has coexisted with hotels in the area  since the early 1990s.  In the objections filed to the Planning Authority, the cat lovers argued that the village may even be described as a tourist attraction in its own right, having fans living as far away as Japan and the USA.  Rosa Sammut, the founder of the village, was given the senior of the year award in 2000 for her volountary work with stray cats.

“Having such a place makes the area look more Maltese as the area has too much concrete and barely any colour… it makes people smile and it gives the positive image that people here like animals,” a resident said, in an objection sent to the Planning Authority.