Feeding Stations in Panama: How Cats Survive with Community Care

Cat-alog Blog: The Lifeline of Feeding Stations

Not all cats in Panama are lucky enough to curl up on a couch or sleep in a warm bed. Many live on the margins, slipping through alleys and jungle edges, surviving off scraps and luck. For them, the feeding stations are lifelines.

Take Sr. Rafael’s place, for example. The trek up his hill is punishing, and every time Kirsten carries a sack of food she curses the incline. But that is where the cats are, so that is where she goes. Years ago, Rafael would scrape together what little he had to buy a single pound of food at a time. Now, the cats that depend on him have regular meals and are sterilized.

Then there is Luis, who refers to his cats as family. For years he has cared for them faithfully, and Kirsten makes sure he has the supplies to continue. Their bond is proof that love can be simple, consistent, and life-saving.

Nathalie is another caregiver. Her station serves cats with chronic health issues, like weakened immune systems and painful abscesses. They receive food, supplements, and vet care when needed. To Nathalie, it is not just feeding. It is nursing fragile bodies back toward health.

Pedro’s station is a reminder of how stubborn neglect can ripple outward. The cats originally belonged to a neighbor who refused to sterilize or care for them. Kirsten, unwilling to walk away, turned to Pedro instead. He has fed them faithfully ever since, and now those cats survive because someone cared enough to step in.

In Alto Quiel, Sra. Beatriz never had the heart to chase the cats from her doorstep. They stayed, and she did what she could, though her pension is small and her family already stretched thin. Thanks to donations, Kirsten supplies food, and the cats continue to live with dignity.

Jacky cares for 14 cats while also looking after her elderly mother. Among her cats are those with FIV who need immunity boosters, and others with urinary problems who require special food. Without help, it would be impossible. With help, it is just barely possible.

And then there is Cedoina. She looks after cats from her neighborhood that are feral or strays, cats that technically are not hers. She cannot touch them, but she still ensures they are fed and sterilized with Kirsten’s support. Her compassion shows what it means to take responsibility when others turn away.

Behind each of these names—Rafael, Luis, Nathalie, Pedro, Beatriz, Jacky, and Cedoina—there are dozens of feline faces. Strays, ferals, the abandoned and the overlooked. They are alive because these caregivers stepped forward, and because donations keep the food and medicine flowing.

Feeding stations may not be glamorous, but they are the backbone of survival for Panama’s street cats. Without them, hunger wins. With them, hope does.

These stations are powered by grit, love, and donations. By choosing to adopt, shop, or donate, you help keep 25 feeding stations supplied, and you make sure cats who have no homes still have food, care, and a chance.