New figures from the German Animal Welfare Federation show that the situation for animal welfare organizations nationwide continues to worsen: 97 percent of local animal welfare organizations are reaching their capacity limits with the growing number of cats being taken in, resulting in frequent admission stops. This is the result of a survey conducted in September 2024 by the German Animal Welfare Federation as an umbrella organization among its affiliated animal welfare associations. The German Animal Welfare Federation is therefore appealing to parliament to include a nationwide castration requirement for outdoor cats in the law as part of the current amendment to the Animal Welfare Act. This is the only way to break the vicious circle of uncontrolled cat breeding.
“Practical animal welfare on the ground has collapsed. Animal shelters and animal welfare organizations can no longer cope with the flood of cats in particular. The fact that non-profit organizations are left alone with this mammoth task is an indictment of a country in which animal welfare is a constitutional goal. And it is even more shameful that even the demand for a nationwide castration obligation, which could curb the problem and relieve the burden on animal shelters, continues to be ignored, talked down or even ridiculed by those politically responsible,” criticizes Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Federation. “How many stray cats still have to die in secret, how many animal welfare organizations still have to reach their limits, how much evidence do we still have to present? Now is the chance to include a castration requirement for outdoor cats in the Animal Welfare Act. We call on Parliament to finally act!”
Uncontrolled breeding and ill-considered purchases have led to more and more cats being in need. 81 percent of animal welfare organizations report an increase in requests to take in cats in the last twelve months. The so-called kitten floods have also been much more severe: 72 percent of the associations have had to take in more kittens than in the previous year. Almost one in two animal welfare organizations have already had to impose admission freezes and, in particular, turn away cats that are no longer wanted by their owners or put them on waiting lists. 97 percent of local associations have reached their capacity limits in recent months. “For every animal welfare organization, helping is a matter of course. But even now, animal welfare organizations can no longer stand up for every animal in need. Without political measures such as a nationwide castration obligation for outdoor cats, the situation will continue to worsen,” warns Animal Welfare Federation President Schröder.
At municipal level, only 13 percent of local authorities have so far introduced mandatory neutering. “Although the majority of animal welfare associations are fighting for mandatory neutering, the path to this is often difficult and lengthy, while the population of unneutered stray cats continues to grow,” criticizes Schröder, underlining the demand for a nationwide regulation.
Note to editors: The German Animal Welfare Federation is currently providing information on the nationwide animal welfare problem of stray cats as part of its “Every cat's life counts” campaign (www.jetzt-katzen-helfen.de) and in its “Big Cat Protection Report” (www.jetzt-katzen-helfen.de/report). The German Animal Welfare Federation has summarized the advantages of a nationwide castration obligation here: www.jetzt-katzen-helfen.de/tierschutzgesetz
