Are you looking to do some animal volunteering in Phuket? Or are you wondering which Phuket cat shelters you can donate to?

Whether you’re here on vacation or have relocated to this beautiful island, there are PLENTY of ways to help stray cats in Phuket.

In this guide, I’m sharing how you can make a real difference to the lives of Phuket’s stray cats.

Phuket Cat Shelters You Can Donate To

If you’re only in Phuket for a short time, the easiest way to help is to donate to one of the Phuket cat shelters.

Two independently-run cat shelters in Phuket accept donations: Rawai Animal Lovers and Sonya’s Angel Paws.

Rawai Animal Lovers (RAL)

RAL (Rawai Animal Lovers) is run by Simone, a woman so dedicated to the stray cats that she transformed her home into a shelter.

Simone has been feeding and rescuing stray cats and dogs since 2005.

Today, the RAL shelter houses around 40 cats, including sanctuary cats with chronic illnesses, cats for adoption, sick cats under treatment, and kittens. In addition, she feeds over 70 temple cats and dogs every evening!

Simone relies solely on donations to feed the shelter and temple animals and pay the never-ending veterinary bills.

Aside from monetary donations, you can donate:

• Cat and dog food
• Cat litter
• Flea medications
• New or used (in good condition) cat trees, beds, litter trays, toys, etc

To donate to Simone, contact her through the RAL Facebook page.

Sonya’s Angel Paws

Sonya is a highly experienced cat and dog rescuer, feeder, and fosterer. She cares for almost 50 cats and dogs in her home, along with feeding and caring for many more on the street.

Sonya runs a cat and dog sterilization program in Phuket, where she partners with Thalang Animal Hospital and MorMod Vet Clinic.

Since she started the project in 2022, Sonya and her team have sterilized around 400 cats in Phuket!

So, sponsoring a cat’s sterilization is an excellent way to make a difference to the stray cats in Phuket.

Here’s the difference your donation will make:

You can donate directly to Thalang Animal Hospital (details here).

Funds not used for sterilization will cover medical treatment for stray animals.

Volunteering With Cats Phuket

If you want more of a hands-on experience helping stray cats in Phuket, why not volunteer?

Simone at Rawai Animal Lovers could always do with an extra pair of hands, whether you’re here short or long-term.

Throughout the years, I’ve volunteered at RAL many times. I’ve helped socialize feral kittens, went out on feedings, gave flea baths, kitten-sat, the list goes on.

Volunteering is not always glamorous, but it is ALWAYS rewarding. It isn’t about taking cute photos for Instagram but rather learning about and doing the many manual tasks required to keep a cat shelter operating.

So, if you’re looking to make a difference, aren’t afraid of hard work, and are flexible with dates and times consider the following volunteering opportunities at RAL:

If you’re interested in any of these volunteering opportunities, contact Simone through the Rawai Animal Lovers Facebook page.

Other Ways To Help Stray Cats In Phuket

Beyond donating and volunteering at Phuket cat shelters, there are various other ways you can help Thailand’s stray cats.

Fostering

I’ve been fostering kittens in Phuket for the last 3+ years, and by doing so, I’ve rescued and found homes for almost 30 kittens.

Considering the constant influx of cats and kittens needing fostering, rescuers could greatly use more help.

Typically, we foster:

• Orphaned kittens
• Mums and their kittens
• Pregnant cats that need a safe place to give birth
• Cats and kittens requiring short-term medical care (either due to an illness or injury)

Even if you can only foster for a short period, you can still help. Get in touch to learn more about how to foster cats in Phuket.

And if you’re unsure if you’ve got what it takes to foster kittens, I’ve got your back!

You’ll find tons of kitten-fostering content on Zen Kitty World, including my guide to Caring For An Orphaned Kitten. And I’m always adding new content on this subject!

Treating Or Catching Sick Cats

Do you have your own transport and want to actively participate in cat rescue?

If so, Sonya’s Angel Paws needs your help.

Sonya is looking for people to travel to specific locations in Phuket to:

• Give medication to street animals.
• Pick up sick cats and bring them to Sonya’s approved vet in Surin, where all medical costs will be covered.

Sonya often posts on the Sonya Angel Paws Facebook page when she needs help. However, feel free to contact her directly to learn more.

TNR

I want to mention the incredible impact you can make by trapping and sterilizing cats in Thailand.

If you’ve been in Phuket for a while, you’ll know that there are many community cats. These cats are typically unowned, but someone in the neighborhood feeds them.

You can help to control the stray cat population by following these steps:

1. Ask around to ensure the cats are unowned.
2. Find out if the cats are already sterilized (while some sterilized strays have ear tattoos, the best way to determine this is to ask the person who feeds them).
3. Trap the cats and take them to the vet for sterilization.
4.  Once recovered from surgery, release the cats back into the community (in the same area you trapped them).

Cat sterilization in Thailand is generally affordable, but if you’re sterilizing many cats, it can quickly become costly.

However, some vets will offer you a reduced rate (or include vaccination for free) if you tell them it is a stray cat. So I recommend asking around a few different vets beforehand.

Adoption

If you’ve relocated to Thailand and plan to live here long term, adopting a rescue cat or kitten is a beautiful thing to do.

However, I cannot stress the importance of thoroughly thinking through your decision.

I’ve seen so many people get the idea to adopt a cat or dog and then act on that impulse, adopting an animal.

But then, when reality sinks in or their circumstances change, they end up rehoming or dumping the animal.

Please don’t be that person!

You should only adopt a cat or dog in Thailand if you are prepared to put in the effort, money, and time to bring them with you should you decide (or have to) leave the country.

It is totally possible to take a Thai cat or dog overseas, but it’s not cheap, easy, or quick. So, if you’re not prepared to face that challenge, it’s better to foster or help the stray cats in another way.

If you do want to adopt, there are always cats and kittens looking for loving homes. You’ll find many adoption posts on the RAL and Sonya’s Angel Paws Facebook pages.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, you can help stray cats in Phuket in many ways. From donating to Phuket cat shelters to volunteering and fostering, YOU can make a real difference to the lives of these kitties!

Because remember… While saving one cat may not change the world, for that one cat, their world changes forever!