Alley Cat Allies San Juan Cat Protection Team Brings Food, Veterinary Care, and More
As our historic federal lawsuit to protect the community cats of Puerto Rico from a lethal U.S. National Park Service (NPS) plan continues, Alley Cat Allies was back on the ground in Old San Juan this past week to check in on the cats and train local advocates.
Our San Juan Cat Protection Team worked throughout a dark and stormy week in San Juan—because rain or shine, we’re always in action for the cats. They hit the pavement of the Paseo del Morro with nutritious wet food, flea medication, and humane traps in hand.
As always, they were greeted by the bold and gregarious Gizmo! While she’s a community cat through and through and entirely at home in her oceanside territory, Gizmo is endlessly curious about visitors to the Paseo. Our team has spent plenty of time in the field, so she’s very familiar (and she knows they come with treats in hand!).
In turn, knowing where Gizmo and her feline family members hang out on the Paseo is valuable for our team. With their combined expertise in Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), they knew exactly where and how to swiftly trap cats in need of a visit to the veterinarian. Each cat was covered in their trap and immediately walked through the well-worn avenues of Old San Juan to a nearby veterinary clinic.
Providing Critical Education to Cat Advocates
But community change is never just about direct care for cats—it’s about investing in the people who will continue the lifesaving work forward! Ultimately, Alley Cat Allies’ goal is to give cat advocates and organizations the tools they need to improve and streamline their action for cats while adhering to best practices.
That’s why this week, we kicked off an initiative to provide training from a veterinary perspective through our Veterinarian Training Program™. Bringing together advocates in San Juan, we led a session about best practices for community cat care—including signs to look for to determine if a cat needs closer monitoring or veterinary care.
This is just the beginning! We’re strategizing further resources for San Juan’s cat advocates, so the cats have a strong, knowledgeable support base.
Taking Action on the Ground and in Court
Our on-the-ground work on the Paseo del Morro and humane education are just two aspects of a much larger fight. Alley Cat Allies is committed to protecting community cats from being ripped from their outdoor homes and killed by the NPS—and our legal battle to do so is ongoing.
Not a month ago, Alley Cat Allies exposed the NPS’s false certification of its administrative record as complete regarding its lethal plan. We uncovered that NPS excluded hundreds of public comments from the record. Among those comments were the voices of Puerto Ricans opposing NPS action against their community’s cats.
Now, we move ever forward until the cats are safe and allowed to remain where they are. We will not allow the federal government to disregard the inherent value of the cats’ lives, the wishes of the San Juan community, and humane, evidence-based approaches to community cats centered on TNR.
Every Paseo Cat Has Her Own Story
Photo taken in March 2025.
Bella’s beautiful two-tone eyes are even more radiant in person! No trip to Puerto Rico is complete until we see them peeking out at us from between the iconic rocks lining the Paseo del Morro.
While Bella looks elegant and poised with her luxurious white fur, believe us when we say she means business. She never lets anyone push her around, and she’s always the first to the food dish.
The fact is, each community cat on the Paseo has their own story—their own quirks, routines, friends, and section of the path they call their own. The Paseo is their home, and they deserve to stay in it.
So many of the people of Puerto Rico stand with their community cats. You can, too.
We urge all who care about cats to join our Worldwide Protest. You can spread the word, show your support, sign the petition, and more to help us save these cats’ lives.
