- Animal rights groups complain about the increase in young cats in shelters
The number of young cats has significantly increased in many animal shelters in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. "Many animal shelters are filled to the brim," explained Margret Kuhlmann, state chairwoman of the German Animal Welfare Federation MV and director of the animal shelter in Malchow. Currently, her animal shelter alone is caring for 25 baby cats, with another 7 in foster homes.
According to Kuhlmann, it is a regular phenomenon that cats born in the spring are only seen in July. However, this year the situation is particularly severe. "We had a very warm February, which led to the mating season starting earlier, resulting in three litters per year and an increased number of kittens," Kuhlmann said.
Spaying measures are important to address the situation. Around 100,000 euros are available annually in the state for spaying. In 2023, approximately 1,200 cats were spayed in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The care of free-roaming and even wild cats in the state is regulated by an administrative directive to control the population and diseases of cats. A problem is the implementation of the administrative directive of the state government on handling found animals, which has been in effect since 2020. This means that stray pets are legally treated as found items.
Strangely, this means that a cat reported as a found animal to the local authority can be held in custody for six months - and the animal shelters should be reimbursed for the costs if there is no prior contractual agreement.
The regulation is unique nationwide, explained Kuhlmann. Many local authorities would repeatedly refuse their responsibility. Kuhlmann called on politics to consistently enforce the administrative directive. "Only then can we effectively prevent cat suffering."
The early start of the mating season due to the warm February weather led to an abundance of kittens this spring in the animal shelters. Ensuring the spaying of cats is crucial for controlling the number of kittens born during the spring, as demonstrated by the 1,200 cats spayed in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in 2023.
