Cats in need: Major castration campaign starts in Schleswig-Holstein!

Cats in need: Major castration campaign starts in Schleswig-Holstein!

Today's cat castration campaign in Schleswig-Holstein brings a breath of fresh air to animal protection. The German Animal Welfare Association and the Schleswig-Holstein State Association have provided a whopping 10,000 euros in funding for the autumn initiative. The castrations start today and will run until November 30th unless funds are used up before then. In the participating communities, street cats can be castrated free of charge and this is intended to provide significant relief for the animals - the overpopulation and suffering of cats in the wild is addressed.

A major concern of the campaign is to reduce the misery of the animals, who often live without human care. Ellen Kloth, chairwoman of the Schleswig-Holstein regional association, addressed the problem of uncastrated cats in allotment gardens as well as in commercial and industrial areas and emphasized the importance of this initiative. The uncontrolled reproduction not only causes distress to animals, but also numerous diseases that make their lives more difficult.

An important signal for animal protection

Neutering cats not only aims to reduce the street cat population, but also relieves the burden on overcrowded animal shelters. Animal shelters are often faced with the challenge of taking in and caring for many cats. The Animal Welfare Association is also calling for a nationwide requirement to castrate all outdoor cats in order to create long-term solutions.

The campaign is aimed at animal protection associations and other initiatives that look after street cats in the participating communities. Those bringing the cats must prove that they actually live in the wild before they can be neutered free of charge. After neutering, the cats are microchipped and registered in the FINDEFIX pet registry to enable tracking. The castrated animals are then released back where they were found.

Successes from the past

A look back: During the last castration campaign in spring, an impressive 1,882 cats - including 1,027 females and 855 males - were castrated. This shows once again how important such actions are for the welfare of animals. The Schleswig-Holstein regional association would also like to thank the Bastet Foundation and the Human World for Animals for their generous donations for the current campaign.

For anyone who would like to find out more, there is extensive information on the state government and veterinary association websites. The “big cat protection report” from the German Animal Welfare Association, which is based on the experiences of 566 animal protection associations, also provides valuable insights into the current situation of street cats. The report shows the challenges that exist in animal protection and opened our eyes to the need for such actions.

The animal protection community in northern Germany stands together strictly to improve the welfare of street cats. It remains to be hoped that this initiative will inspire and support many animal welfare associations so that they can continue to have a positive influence on the lives of cats in the future. Further information is available at Animal Welfare Association, toast and Help cats now.