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Help with our pet sanctuary on the Island of Favignana, Italy

Italy
Last activity : 12 May 2025

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Last replied
20 Nov 2021
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2025

Min stay requested: at least a week

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Details

Description
***ONLY FLUENT Italian and/or French speakers please. Maria, the host, only speaks these two languages. Thank you for your understanding***

Maria takes care of the cats on the island of Favignana, a small island 30 minutes by boat from Sicily (Italy). She takes care of about sixty cats that live on her land, as well as the colonies that live all over the island. Alone, she takes care of spaying and neutering as many cats as possible to prevent them from reproducing (the major problem on the island).
Maria s'occupe des chats de l'île de Favignana, une petite île à 30 minutes en bateau de la Sicile (Italie). Elle s'occupe d'une soixantaine de chats qui vivent sur son terrain, ainsi que des colonies qui vivent aux quatre coins de l'île. Seule, elle s'occupe de faire castrer et stériliser un maximum de chats afin d'éviter qu'ils ne se reproduisent (le problème majeur sur l'île).
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
...
...
What's this?
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Favignana is a beautiful island with its hills and turquoise sea. You can learn a lot about cats, island life and the locals.
Favignana est une île magnifique avec ses collines et sa mer turquoise. Vous pourrez en apprendre beaucoup sur les chats, la vie de l'île et les locaux.
Help
We need someone who is really committed and involved in helping animals. We don't want volunteers who just want to have free accommodation and do the minimum work (this has already happened unfortunately...). Animals are the priority and Maria needs help. If you don't have a deep love for animals (and especially cats ;) ), don't come to us. The work is not very complicated but must be done well! It only takes a few hours a day, in the morning around 9am and in the afternoon around 3pm. Here is a list (not exhaustive) of the tasks: - Feed the cats that live on Maria's land, then wash the dishes. - Change the water bowls. - Take care of the cats. - Walk the two dogs, wash them, brush them (every day) and feed them. - Accompany Maria from time to time to feed the colonies of cats on the island. - Wash the litter boxes. - For those who know how to DIY: repair the little wooden houses where cats take refuge. - Any other task, as needed (always related to animals). - Be proactive, make suggestions :-) Animals are the priority.

Nous avons besoin de quelqu'un qui soit vraiment engagé et impliqué à aider les animaux. Nous ne souhaitons pas de volontaires qui souhaitent juste avoir un logement gratuit et faire le minimum de travail (cela est déjà arrivé malheureusement...). Les animaux sont la priorité et Maria a besoin d'aide. Si vous n'avez pas un profond amour pour les animaux (et surtout les chats ;) ), ne venez pas nous voir. Le travail n'est pas très compliqué mais doit être bien fait ! Cela ne prend que quelques heures par jour, le matin vers 9h et l'après-midi vers 15h.

Voici une liste (non exhaustive) des tâches :

- Nourrir les chats qui vivent sur le terrain de Maria, puis laver les plats.
- Changer les bols d'eau.
- Soigner les chats.
- Promener les deux chiens, les laver, les brosser (tous les jours) et les nourrir.
- Accompagner de temps en temps Maria nourrir les colonies de chats de l'île.
- Laver les litières.
- Pour ceux qui savent bricoler : réparer les petites maisons en bois où les chats se réfugient.
- Toute autre tâche, selon les besoins (toujours liées aux animaux).
- Soyez proactif, faites des propositions :-) Les animaux sont la priorité.
Languages spoken
French: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
Accommodation
You will have at your disposal a small studio with a small kitchenette and a small bathroom. It has a double bed, a small gas stove for cooking, a sink, a fridge, a shower and a toilet. The studio is located on the land where Maria and her husband Giuseppe live. It is therefore possible to accommodate a single person OR a couple OR two friends who can sleep in the same bed.

Vous aurez à disposition un petit studio avec une petite kitchenette et une petite salle de bain. Il comporte un lit double, une petite gazinière pour cuisiner, un évier, un frigo, une douche et un toilette.
Le studio se trouve sur le terrain où Maria et son mari Giuseppe vivent.

Il est donc possible d'héberger une personne seule OU un couple OU deux amie.s qui peuvent dormir dans le même lit.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
- Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Oui, il y a internet (petit boitier 4G).
Space for parking camper vans
Maria vit sur un grand terrain où il est possible de garer votre van.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two

Host ref number: 439215185368

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Feedback (1)

21 Nov 2020

Left by Workawayer (Laura) for host

I am on Favignana Island for 2 weeks now and it is lovely! I will leave soon and would really love that someone takes over after me :) I will try to describe my experience with as many details as possible.

COVID:
First I want to say that I travelled during lockdown and it was no problem at all! I just had to fill in a document that they give you… read more at the airport of Palermo. I said that I was travelling for professional/charity reasons and they let me go without a problem. In case, I had a "volunteering/work contract" (made by the host), but nobody asked me for evidence, so I did not have to show the contract.

The island:
Favignana island is beautiful! The island is small but there is everything you need there, so no worries ;) I am vegan, so I was worried about food, but it is really no problem at all. You can also order stuff on the internet and the packages will be delivered. Because of COVID, restaurants and bars are closed but some are still opened for take-away, so you can have a beer or a glass of wine in the city anyway! The sea is beautiful and crystal-clear and the streets are charming. It is a like a big village with a lot of nature!

To go there:
I am French, so I took a plane from Paris to Palermo, then you should take a bus to Trapani, where the harbor is, and then you take a ferry for 30 minutes and you are on Favignana island! Advice: book the bus ticket in advance. When I arrived in Palermo, busses were booked out so I had to take a taxi and it was very expensive at it is a 1-hour drive. For the ferry, it is no problem, you can buy it directly at the harbor, the boat is never full.

The host:
Maria, the host, is the best. She is super kind, always here for you and providing you with fresh food everyday.
She lives on a big land where all the cats are. We feed them twice a day and Maria also makes a tour of the island twice a day to feed stray cats. She has so much work to do and really needs and deserves help from dedicated people and cat lovers. She speaks Italian and French. She is a brave woman who gives her heart for the cats. She has to take care of 60 cats + the stray cats of the island ALONE. It is crazy how much she does and all the money she spends for them. She also tries to castrate and neuter as many cats as possible.

The work:
The tasks are pretty simple : cleaning the plates when the cats are done eating, walking the two lovely dogs, giving medicine to some cats, cleaning some litter boxes... Nothing hard. You are independent and should do whatever you think needs to be done. The less Maria has to do, the better it is! The work won't exceed a few hours per day so you will have plenty of time to enjoy the island and go to the beach. Right now, it is end of November and the weather is still ok, around 20 degrees with a blue sky most of the time.
If you have special skills, you can also try to post on social media and try to raise money!

Your room:
Maria has a small flat/room on her land. It is a small room with a double bed, a wardrobe and a small kitchen (stove, fridge..). There is also a small bathroom with a shower cabin. The room has even a terrace! It is all for yourself and the entrance is independent. It is 10 minutes away by foot from the sea and the village where all the bars and shops are. There is internet.
The flat/room is on the big land where Maria, her husband Giuseppe, the 60 cats and the two dogs live. It is huge, beautiful with a lot of trees and plants and the view on the mountains.

If you love cats and want to have a meaningful experience, this is definitely the place!! If you have any question, message me, I'd be super happy to give you more details!

(Excellent )

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