How do stray cats survive? Can I feed them freely? Possibly as a cat lover you have ever asked yourself these questions. You should know that you should not feed stray cats if you are not accredited to do so by your City Council, since by law the feeding of stray cats and animals is prohibited due to the risk of public he alth problem that would be their overpopulation.
If you want to learn more about the topic of feeding, helping and caring for stray cats and feline colonies, continue reading this article on our site to be correctly informed about whether you can feed stray cats
Is it legal to feed stray cats?
As a general rule, It is not legal to feed stray cats due to stray cat regulations related to public he alth and environmental protection established by the rulers. This is based on the principle of preventing stray cats from continuing to breed and monopolizing public spaces, disturbing the vicinity of areas such as bars and restaurants that should have hygienic-sanitary measures established to guarantee public he alth and food safety.
If the whole world or a large part of the population fed these animals they could become a danger to public safety and, for this reason, the issue of feeding stray cats is regularized. In addition, the more stray cats there are, the more difficult their he alth control and sterilization will be, becoming a plague.
The prohibition of not feeding them is not for selfish reasons or for lack of empathy with the animals, but in this way we avoid overpopulation and the greater risk that these animals are hungry, abandoned and in poor conditions. highly questionable he alth information.
In many Spanish municipalities we are prohibited from feeding stray cats or feline colonies in a state of abandonment due to municipal ordinances, since the municipalities must be in charge of these animals, guaranteeing their safety, he alth and sanitary conditions, as well as their slaughter or sterilization.
The fines for feeding stray cats can range from €100-300 to more than €1,000 depending on the type of food being fed. being given as well as the amount.
Why is it not allowed to feed stray cats?
According to the Animal Rights and Welfare Law, the reason for the prohibition of feeding our stray cats or feline colonies is based on to avoid overpopulation or excessive proliferationof these animals, which would result in a he alth hazard for people and other animals or be a nuisance for the inhabitants while making it difficult to maintain their correct he alth and protection needs.
However, existing cats or feline colonies must be cared for and fed according to their needs so as not to abandon them, as well as they must be captured to sterilize them and whenever they are sick or in great suffering to practice them euthanasia, all by the corresponding municipalities.
However, if you want to feed the stray cats you can try to obtain a card to feed stray cats through your town hall, at the case that it manufactures them since the identification of street feline feeders is not standardized throughout Spain.
There are three options that would allow you to feed the street cats:
- Municipal card: which will indicate that you are collaborating for the welfare of street cats together with your local council. This document is issued by the City Council and authorizes one or several feline colonies in the municipality to be fed, cared for, captured and controlled for sanitary methods.
- Letter or documentation from your town hall: in which you are authorized as manager of feline colonies to be able to carry out the C. E. R. which consists of capturing, sterilizing and returning stray cats to their place of origin.
- Volunteer card of an organization: as an animal shelter in case the municipalities have not yet applied this method.
How to protect stray cats?
The municipalities and their cooperators are in charge of caring for, feeding, protecting and cleaning up domestic animals that are abandoned or vulnerable on the street, since these animals have no owners when they are abandoned, lost or directly being born and raised on the street. Unfortunately in Spain we have more than 100,000 abandoned cats on the streets.
Depending on the municipality, but generally you cannot freely feed street cats unless:
- You take them home and welcome them.
- Take to the veterinary center, identify and take care of it as if it were a regulated adoption.
If you wonder what to feed a stray cat you should know that they have to be fed a complete cat food, especially in dry feed formatbecause it is more resistant and better preserved in the environment than a moist complete food which, due to its moisture content, can favor bacterial accumulation or become dirty more easily.
However, you can also offer complete wet food, but in these cases it is best to stay until they finish it and, once finished, clean the container well or throw it away depending on where you put it.
You must not give them homemade food or
- Human food.
- Raw meat or fish.
- Food expired or about to expire.
- Vegetables, fruits or very sweet or s alty foods as some are toxic to cats. Find out what are the prohibited foods for cats in this article that we recommend.
Another way to help stray cats is to play or spend time with them because even though they live on the street, they are usually used to general to human contact, feeling in company and reducing their boredom. You can also put houses, resistant cardboard boxes or cat beds so that they can take refuge from the adverse conditions of the environment or from possible aggressors.
Without a doubt, the legal way and the best thing you can do to help stray cats is to cooperate with your municipality to feed, control, protect and check them so that they preserve their he alth and quality of life despite Live on the street.
