Japan's Cat Island is aging out

[Catherine]

Cat Island is a small fishing island off the coast of Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's 4 islands. 
The cats were brought in to kill rodents and there were over 200 feral cats at one point. Cats outnumbered humans. It is a popular tourist destination for people who want to see all the cats.
Now many of the humans have moved on and the cats are getting older and dying off. They did a spay/neuter program in 2017 and there have been no kittens since then. The cats are all getting older and there less every year.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/d...hic-crisis

There are only a few people left and there are lot fewer cats than there were. The question is will the humans go before the cats or the cats before the humans.
If the last people are gone from the island what will be done to provide for the cats. The humans are feeding them now. The cats couldn't survive without them.
The cats were brought to the island when there was a thriving fishing community. Things have changed. They were smart to neuter the cats. It does make their numbers manageable if they have to be relocated or set up in a shelter situation.
It would be very hard for feral cats with their own island to even consider life in a shelter. I hope they can find a solution that works for the cats.