A statewide cat protection ordinance will take effect in Schleswig-Holstein on July 1, 2026. The German Animal Welfare Federation and its Schleswig-Holstein chapter expressly welcome this development. The new ordinance establishes, for the first time across the entire state, uniform regulations that are expected to reduce the suffering of stray cats and ease the burden on animal shelters. The German Animal Welfare Federation sees this as a model for other federal states and is calling on the federal government to introduce a nationwide mandatory neutering requirement for outdoor cats.
“This is a historic success for animal welfare organizations in Schleswig-Holstein,” says Ellen Kloth, vice president of the German Animal Welfare Federation and chair of the Schleswig-Holstein state chapter. “Together with our member organizations, we have been fighting for a statewide cat protection ordinance for about 15 years. We are all the more delighted that it is now being implemented. We are optimistic that the ordinance—which mandates neutering, identification, and registration for outdoor cats—will prove effective, especially when combined with statewide neutering campaigns for stray cats. These measures can not only sustainably reduce the suffering of countless stray cats but also significantly ease the burden on animal shelters.”
The German Animal Welfare Federation, as the umbrella organization, highlights Schleswig-Holstein’s role as a model: “As the first state with a statewide cat protection ordinance, Schleswig-Holstein is taking on a pioneering role. We hope that other states—and especially the federal government—will recognize the symbolic significance of this and follow suit,” says Thomas Schröder, president of the German Animal Welfare Federation, adding: “The federal government could easily alleviate the suffering of millions of stray cats in Germany by implementing a comprehensive, nationwide mandatory neutering requirement for outdoor cats.”
In 2023, the first attempt to enact a statewide cat protection ordinance in Schleswig-Holstein was rejected. However, the situation in many animal shelters across the state underscored the urgency of this measure. Animal welfare advocates view the swift implementation of the unanimous state parliament resolution from 2025 as a positive development. The processing time between the parliamentary resolution and the enactment of the ordinance was just over a year.
Note to Editors
To raise awareness of the suffering of stray cats, educate the public, and hold policymakers accountable, the German Animal Welfare Federation (Deutscher Tierschutzbund) has published the “Comprehensive Cat Protection Report” as part of its current campaign, “Every Cat’s Life Counts.” For more information, visit: www.jetzt-katzen-helfen.de
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
