Many people first become aware of stray cats during their summer vacations—for example, in Greece, Croatia, Italy, or Turkey. This often gives the impression that stray cats are primarily a problem in other countries. Yet even in Germany, several million cats are struggling to survive on the streets without human care—these animals live in hiding. Their suffering has become one of the country’s most overlooked animal welfare issues.
“The suffering of stray cats in Germany is less visible, but no less dramatic,” explains Dr. Dalia Zohni, specialist advisor for companion animals at the German Animal Welfare Federation. “Most stray cats in this country are very shy. Their lives, marked by hunger, disease, and uncontrolled reproduction, largely unfold in secret. Many of the animals die young; kittens often live only a few weeks.”
While stray cats in vacation destinations roam visibly and usually trustingly through streets and hotel grounds, begging tourists for food, stray cats in Germany live in hiding. The German Animal Welfare Federation has shown in its “Major Cat Protection Report” that stray cats in rural areas live primarily on farms and on abandoned homesteads and company grounds. Stray cats in urban areas usually live in allotment gardens.
IMPROVING THE SITUATION FOR STRAY ANIMALS
Since all stray cats originally descend from unneutered outdoor cats from private households, the German Animal Welfare Association is calling on the federal government to introduce a nationwide mandatory neutering requirement for outdoor cats. Animal welfare organizations and shelters usually provide expert care for stray cats that cannot be placed in homes. They set up feeding stations, trap the animals, have them neutered, and provide veterinary care. Animal welfare organizations rely on donations from animal lovers to support their work.
Note to editors: As part of its current campaign “Every Cat’s Life Counts,” the German Animal Welfare Association is raising awareness about the situation of stray cats in Germany. For more information and to access the “Comprehensive Cat Protection Report,” visit www.jetzt-katzen-helfen.de.
