The island of cats has a cat problem.

Officials in Cyprus, the small island nation in the eastern corner of the Mediterranean, estimate roughly one feral cat for every one of its million-strong human population, though activists contend the actual population is hundreds of thousands higher.

In September the island's parliamentary environment committee was told an existing sterilisation program is too limited to contain the burgeoning cat population.

Change might be on the way, but funding alone won't solve Cyprus's cat problem.

Appearing to heed calls for more funding, Environment Minister Maria Panayiotou announced on October 4 - World Animal Day - that the government would raise annual cat sterilisation funding to 300,000 euros ($A530,000). The decision was hailed as a significant st

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