Read Testimonials by members of Hands who have used our Neutering Program
for local Street and Garden Cats.

A huge thank you to HANDS on behalf of Jelly Cat, the brown and black tabby who’s stolen our hearts. When we moved to Akarca in April, she visited regularly—scared, scruffy, and pregnant. After disappearing for weeks, she returned looking unwell and depressed. We reached out to HANDS, who kindly arranged for her to be neutered. She was already pregnant again, malnourished, and had clearly been through a lot. After surgery and some care, she transformed—her coat is shiny, her eyes bright, and she’s full of life, even playing with another local street cat. We feed her daily, give her vitamins, and, most importantly, love. We’ve now adopted her and her little garden friend too—despite never seeing ourselves as “cat people.” Thanks to HANDS and Türkiye, Jelly Cat has a new lease on life and we have two beautiful new additions to our family. We’re committed to caring for them for as long as they choose to stay.

We feed 11 cats and have just got 2 females to neuter, one had kittens about 6 weeks ago, plus another one we found in Eşenköy. After these females are done there should be no more kittens in Gökben. Please neuter the street animals, it’s kinder and safer for them. Definitely less fighting, we don’t hear them yowling as much looking for a mate.

I’ve witnessed and personally experienced the positive impact of sterilizations carried out with the help of the HANDS Association. Even if cats are only examined at the clinic once, they have the chance to be properly cared for. For females, sterilization means they no longer have to endure the constant physical toll of giving birth. They won’t have to bring kittens into a world where they often face disease, hunger, and the risk of dying from accidents or being killed by tomcats.
Males, too, no longer have to fight over mating rights, leading to a more peaceful existence. Sterilization gives them the chance to live a quieter, healthier life. I’ve personally seen this transformation over the years in the cats I’ve helped neuter with the support of HANDS in my area. I’ve neutered so many cats, I’ve honestly lost count, but it’s been a rewarding experience to see how much better their lives have become.

Two years ago in our complex in Uzumlu we were becoming overrun with kittens, mainly as a result of holiday makers “adopting “ them during their short stay and then abandoning them when they leave . The charity in our village was not doing neutering at that time so for a while I was shelling out for this myself. I found Hands by chance at a Christmas fayre and said I wish you were in Uzumlu . They agreed to come to our complex and help with a huge neutering scheme . This was successfully done and now we only have adult cats who have mostly been neutered and the ones that haven’t are more affordable to get done. A huge thank you to Hands.

I am a great believer in neutering. So far, on this site, we have had 6 males neutered and are very grateful for it. They tend to stay in the area, so are mostly safe from traffic accidents, and they live happily together. The best benefit is far less kittens and no spraying.

The biggest change for me is that in my immediate neighborhood, the number of undernourished cats poking their heads out of rubbish bins—with noses worn down from scraping against metal and eyes infected—has dropped to almost zero.As a volunteer feeder, I care for approximately 35 cats daily, many of whom have been with us for four to six years. New cats join us from time to time, but they are also neutered, thanks to Hands. The fact that Hands performs neutering surgeries in clinics is a huge advantage. It gives people a sense of security, especially since shelters often lack proper hygiene and comfort. Hands is a much-needed charity.

Catching and neutering 4 stray cats today wasn’t easy, but it was worth it knowing that they’ll be healthier, safer, and won’t contribute to the breeding cycle. Neutering is one of the most important acts of kindness for community cats—it prevents suffering, reduces risks, and gives them a better chance at life. A big thanks to Hands neutering scheme and Positive Vet Burak for their support. Neutering saves lives—please consider it if you see stray cats in your area.

The cats in our garden never fight each other, they eat off the same tray of food. The cats at the park where Meral Kızılyar and I feed, don’t fight either. I fed 16 cats there this morning and they all wait patiently along the same wall waiting for a stroke and food. Some of them were feral before being neutered and would fight and cause havoc. Since being neutered they are chilled with each other. Any new cat that appeared would be straight to the vet to be neutered. So many cats have a better and healthier life thanks to HANDS.

My encounter with HANDS started with a mother cat and her 5 kittens who came to where I worked in Fethiye. We neutered the mother cat and her kittens with the help of HANDS. They also helped me a lot morally during this process. They helped a lot in catching the cats in a healthy way, completing their care and releasing them into their living spaces in a healthy way. The most important issue here, of course, was to make this process financially affordable and reliable. It would not be possible to neuter that many cats on my own. In this way, we were able to prevent many sad deaths and unhealthy conditions for the offspring to reproduce quickly. I later had the opportunity to neuter many other cats that came to the office. Among these cats, there were some who needed serious help. During the sterilization, the general health status of all of them was checked and support was given for the necessary procedures. Thanks to them, the lives of many cats were saved. During this period, I adopted 3 cats. In Fethiye, I started seeing healthy, neutered cats wherever I went. And every time I see it, I know it’s thanks to volunteers and HANDS. I hope that the number of people who care for stray animals, whether donors, volunteers or with their own means, will increase and we can touch the lives of more animals.

When we moved to Fethiye, we found 3 pregnant females and one male living in our garden. After they had 8 kittens, we reached out to HANDS for help with the cost of neutering them all. Thanks to their support, along with Positive Vets, we were able to get them all neutered and they now live happily in the garden. We couldn’t have afforded to do this without the help of HANDS and Positive Vets. We send our heartfelt thanks.