Stray cats: castration against animal suffering – salzburg.ORF.at
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The campaign to castrate wild cats and tomcats has proven itself after 15 years, reports the state of Salzburg. Since 2007, around 10,000 strays have been sterilized in the city and country. If the animals do not multiply uncontrollably, it will save them a lot of suffering, experts say.
Stray cats living in the wild suffer particularly badly in winter. Cold and wet promote infectious diseases. They have to fight for their food and defend their habitat. Unneutered tomcats can also become quite aggressive and willing to attack, and they also transmit some diseases during fights among their own kind.
Private animal lovers carry the system
Around 700 stray cats are spayed and neutered in Salzburg every year, two-thirds are female. The campaign has proven itself for 15 years, says state veterinary director Josef Schöchl: “This has prevented new cat suffering in around 10,000 cases. They weren’t born, didn’t have to be cared for in animal shelters.”
The campaign stands and falls with private individuals and animal rights activists who notice wild cats in everyday life or in their free time. They bring such cats and tomcats to vets.
Many domestic cats are exhibited
Wild or semi-wild populations of these animals can be found everywhere – from rural areas to urban areas, says Maria Boshamer, veterinarian in Wals-Siezenheim: “For example, domestic cats were exhibited on the Kapuzinerberg. There is now a colonization of about 30 animals living wild there.”
The costs for the castrations are divided into thirds. The state pays a third each, the finder a third – and the veterinarians waive a third of their fee.