Located in Lima’s tourist district of Miraflores, Parque Kennedy is a popular attraction with Peruvians and foreigners alike. Its peculiarity is the presence of a large cat colony, consisting of both wild and domestic cats. The first two cats were introduced more than 25 years ago by priests from the nearby church for plague control. As those cats reproduced and populated the park with their offspring, people got used to leaving their unwanted cats in the park, creating the domestic cat colony. The feral cats live in the trees and avoid human contact, while domestic cats allow people to approach and pet them.
GVDF was founded 15 years ago by a group of cat-loving neighbors. In 2013, the group’s status was made official. The group’s constant goals contribute to the welfare of the cats, spay and neuter them, promote their responsible adoption and prevent abuse and abandonment.
Regular duties include:
- Daily feeding of the 150 cats living in the park (up to 20 pounds of balanced food per day);
- Regular deworming and vaccination campaigns;
- Permanent sterilisation and neuter program (approximately 4 cats are spayed per week, both males and females);
- Medical treatment for sick and injured cats;
- Permanent adoption campaign for domestic cats;
- Foster care for newly abandoned cats and kittens;
- Care of cats during the end-of-year festivities;
- Generally caring for the safety and well-being of cats.
