"Every cat’s life matters": new campaign highlights suffering of street cats in Germany
A new campaign by German organisation Deutscher Tierschutzbund sheds light on the suffering of street cats across the country, and calls for better cooperation and accountability to address the problem.
A report by the organisation shows that the suffering of millions of street cats has become one of the biggest unnoticed animal welfare problems in Germany in recent years, and animal protection associations and animal shelters are reaching their limits and cannot cope with the scale of the problem on their own.
The German Animal Welfare Association is calling on the federal government to introduce a nationwide castration obligation for cats, through a launched campaign entitled Jedes Katzenleben zählt (Every cat's life matters).
The scale of the problem has still not reached the public and political decision-makers. street cats suffer in secret, their life is painful and short. In order to break the vicious circle of uncontrolled reproduction and stop the suffering, there is an urgent need for a nationwide regulation for more cat protection, which includes castration, identification and registration. So far, animal welfare organisations have mostly shouldered the responsibility alone; they fight every day to reduce the suffering of animals. The animal protection associations and animal rights activists must finally receive the support they are entitled to.Thomas Schröder, President, Deutscher Tierschutzbund
In most cases, it is only voluntary cat protectors and animal protection associations that take care of the street cats. 99% of animals are sick when they are first presented to a veterinarian, with more than half struggling with serious but treatable conditions such as parasitic infestations, malnutrition and especially cat flu. Although cats can live up to 20 years, the life expectancy of street cats is often only a few months. The high mortality rate among kittens is particularly alarming.
