About us
Who we are
Our main purpose is to take care of homeless cats on the Island of Krapanj and protect cultural heritage.
Why?
Krapanj is an island in the Adriatic Sea, located south of Šibenik, Croatia and it is one of the smallest inhabited islands of the Adriatic Sea covering 0.36 km2.
It is a beautiful, quiet island, only 300 m offshore at its closest point from the mainland village of Brodarica.
Because of the island’s closeness to the mainland people have brought many cats to the Island of Krapanj to get rid of. Thus, the cats remained on the island inhabited by very few permanent residents who cannot take care of cats.
Thus the OK Association was founded with the priority of protecting and preserving wild cats, as well as striving for the implementation of animal rights, educating and raising awareness of the connection between humans, animals, and plants, and protecting cultural heritage.
The activities of the Association are:
- preservation and protection of animals;
- promotion of humane and responsible treatment of animals and nature in general;
- organizing the Island of Krapanj clean-up campaigns;
- making/shooting documentaries about the Island of Krapanj;
- educating and raising awareness of the importance of animals and plants;
- environmental education at schools and kindergartens;
- protection of cultural heritage; open-air museum and museum of cultural heritage with objects, heritage on sponge breeding and sponge-making
- self-sufficiency of the Island of Krapanj and eco-tourism;
- establishment of landscape architecture, participation in domestic and international conferences, seminars, and congresses related to the goals of the Association;
- cooperation with related organizations in the Republic of Croatia and abroad;
- informing the public about the work of the Association through information brochures, websites, YouTube channels, and FB pages;
- active cooperation in solving animal problems and cleaning up the island of Krapanj;
- collecting voluntary contributions (financial and material).
Our vision
The Island of Krapanj was once an island of prosperity, creative cooperation, and vitality.
Once upon a time, 2,000 residents coexisted with nature, the sea, and each household took care of at least one cat, which brought happiness and health to their home and surroundings.
Our vision is to make the Island of Krapanj vital again and to restore its optimal potential through care for clean nature, drinking water, maximum self-sufficiency and human participation for the benefit of plants, animals, and the sea.
The western part of the island has always been overgrown with pine trees, which maintain the primary pure energy, the Fields of Peace, which can be felt by every sentient person who stops for a moment in his thoughts and actions.
Through our actions, example and awareness, we want to expand and implement the Fields of Peace into a way of life and strengthen awareness of the importance of the past, history, culture, art and coexistence with nature and animals.
The Island of Krapanj carries the outstanding peace and harmony, which we want to revive in order to create a true Zen environment for nature and animals and attract people to a harmonious home or vacation. Our vision and goal is the island to become visual, ‘material’ “Paradise on Earth”, felt by many.
Our mission
- Providing food and care for wild cats as well as arranging a safe and warm home for them, which is needed especially on rainy, windy, and cold days and months.
- Raising awareness of the importance of ecology and the values of human coexistence with nature and animals, and carrying out supporting activities in this direction.
- Through Information – communication and clean-up campaigns help to achieve optimal cleanliness of the island and the surrounding sea.
- Providing assistance in preserving the rich cultural history of the island in all possible forms and media.
Our history
We are a group of enthusiasts from Slovenia, visiting the island of Krapanj for business purposes since 2016. From the very beginning, it was clear to us that the island was dealing with problems regarding cats.
Our love for the island and cats led us to the decision to cooperate in solving this problem and the problem of garbage with the inhabitants.
Before our arrival (and also later), it was Mrs. Dragica Curavić from the Island of Krapanj who took care of the cats the most, and we are very grateful to her for her sacrifice and kindness.
Timeline of Ongoing Projects
From 2016 onwards – Cat care
There were too many cats in Krapanj, and people started poisoning them, so we had agreed with the veterinary station More in Šibenik that people from Krapanj could take their cats to the vet for sterilization and sent us a bill. We also sterilized outdoor cats and thus sterilized a total of about 47 cats.
From the very beginning, it was clear to us that there was not enough food for cats, because not many people live in Krapanj in winter, so we’re regularly sending them cat food in the months when we are not in Krapanj.
So we’re spending between 350-500 euros PER MONTH on cat food because in summer we feed about 25 cats and in winter about 32 (because there are no weekenders and tourists) (which takes between 3600 – 6000 EUR per year)
Since 2022 – Cat Sanctuary – A Zen Space for homeless cats
Since 2022, we have been dedicated to creating a sanctuary for stray cats on the serene island of Krapanj. What began as a dream has turned into a reality, providing a safe and loving home for the homeless cats of the island. Nestled within a beautiful olive grove, our sanctuary offers a peaceful refuge where cats can find shelter and comfort.
With the support of a generous local resident, who we consider our angel, we were able to lease this land and build a secure shelter complete with cozy cat houses. During the colder months, the cats have warm spaces to retreat to, while in the summer, they enjoy the cool shade of the olive trees.
This project, funded partly by donations and primarily by the private contributions of our founders, is an ongoing labor of love. Each year, we continue to invest in improvements to ensure that the stray cats of Krapanj have a peaceful, safe, and nurturing environment where they are cherished and cared for.
Since 2016 – clean-up campaigns – cleaning the Island of Krapanj
From 2016 onwards, twice a year (in May and September) we’re organizing clean-up campaigns and cleaning up the promenade, the streets, and the Riva (altogether 15 projects so far).
Take a look at Island Krapanj clean-up campaign May 2022
Additional Fundraising Projects
2018 – Publishing of the 7 Rays of Light Coloring book
The profits from the sale of the coloring book are donated to homeless cats.
The mandala coloring book was created by 16 volunteers who connected with the energies of the Masters of 7 Rays of Light based on energy knowledge from the Clairvoyance Courses on the Island of Krapanj, led by Andreja Novak.
The purpose of the coloring book is to help the individual to deepen and harmonize with each of the seven Rays of Light through coloring. The entire project is based on a voluntary basis and the entire profit from the sale of the coloring book is donated to homeless cats on the Island of Krapanj.
The project is carried out under the auspices of A Slovenian company Merkaba and Trgovina Angelca, which has been selling coloring books since 2018. In the name of cats – thank you very much!
2019 – Free morning coffee for food donations
In the summer of 2019, we were making and offering free coffee every morning from 6 am to 8 am for one month in exchange for cat food donations.
The donations enabled us to buy cat food for one month.
Of course, we’ve met many new cat lovers and some of them are returning to the Island of Krapanj every year and bringing food to the cats.
We would like to thank Konoba Kapelica for their cooperation and for selflessly giving us a place for morning socializing.