About Us
The story behind "One Paw at a Time"
"One Paw at a Time" is the diary of a journey of love through the streets of the Medina of Marrakech, where Silvia cares for, feeds, and protects forgotten stray cats. Here you'll find true stories, images, updates, and a concrete call to action: help those without a voice, one paw at a time.
How it all began
It all began on May 8, 2025. A one-way ticket for myself. Four days in Marrakech, alone, to celebrate a significant transition, an internal transformation that demanded silence, unfamiliar paths, and freedom. I needed to lose myself. And so I did.
I lost myself in the intense colors of the Medina, in the scent of spices, in the voices chasing each other through the alleys, in the seemingly unhurried time. But it was in the folds of that vibrant chaos that something—or someone—found me.
The cats.
Dozens of eyes that looked at me without asking, yet told me everything. They chose me. They followed me. They filled my heart. In four days, I received a love that was silent and powerful, unconditional and urgent. And when I returned, in my suitcase was an idea that would never leave me: to help them.
This is how my project was born: "One Paw at a Time – Helping the Street Cats of the Medina of Marrakech." Because, sometimes, it's precisely when we think we're setting out to find ourselves, that we discover we're called to something greater.
My name is Silvia. And today I'm the Cat Lady of the Medina of Marrakech.
Why I raise money for the cats of Medinaa
I return to Morocco whenever I can, to live with and care for the cats of the Medina. There are hundreds of them: hungry, sick, plagued by parasites, abandoned to fend for themselves in the scorching streets of Marrakech. Especially in summer, the scorching heat destroys all hope, and most of them... fail.
I've seen boxes full of newborn kittens. Week-old kittens, coming out of every corner of the city. And I know many of them won't even make it to the next day.
The inhabitants of the Medina respect cats. Some try to help them, leaving them scraps of meat—often spiced or spoiled by the heat—which, however, risks poisoning them. Cockroaches, too, become their only source of food, but they themselves are loaded with poison..
I've seen cats foaming at the mouth. A clear sign of poisoning. They die within a few days. And they're thrown away like garbage.
My heart breaks every time. But I can't look away.
This isn't just a stray animal problem. It's also an image problem for Marrakech, a wonderful city that deserves to be seen by the world with dignity, even for its four-legged residents..
I raise funds so I can return, more often and better. To provide adequate food, pest control, and veterinary care. To build local alliances and launch small educational projects. To truly save one life at a time.
Our Mission
One Paw at a Time is an independent project, born from Silvia's heart, to nourish, heal, and protect the stray cats of the Marrakech Medina. Through field missions, collaborations with the local population, and a network of conscious donors, we transform every helping hand into a concrete act of love.
I believe that cats are not "just" animals to be saved, but instruments for spreading Love, silent keys capable of opening the doors to the deepest feeling of all: the one that holds life together.
Because every encounter is an opportunity. Every treatment, a choice of compassion. Every donation, a spark that ignites change.
Together, we can improve the lives of those who have no voice. One paw at a time.
