Germany's Timid Feline Refuges Engaging in Unspecified Activities
People who own cats understand this: as you stroke the animal, both the cat's and the owner's temperaments ease. Unfortunately, countless cats in shelters haven't experienced this or only seldom. Then the volunteers step in to save lives in the best-case scenario.
Alfred momentarily halts as Christina Haas scratches his head. Then he darts away and hides behind a curtain. "He was very timid at first," the young woman remarks. Now, the sleek tabby cat allows Haas to touch him. "That's a significant improvement," she concludes. Although Albert doesn't appear to be particularly relaxed. At least he tolerates the proximity.
Christina Haas is an animal shelter volunteer cat cuddler. For seven years, she visits the animal shelter in Feucht, on the outskirts of Nuremberg, during her spare time. Occasionally, she spends a lot of time petting one of the friendly cats waiting for a new home and enjoying the extended cuddling session. However, most of the time, she goes to the rooms with the challenging cats. "You're pleased with every little thing - that you're not scratched, that you can get a little closer," Haas explains.
It takes a great deal of patience and time - once she spent three years to tame an extremely shy cat. Time that the full-time employees at the animal shelter don't have. Because like many other animal shelters in Germany, the one in Feucht also can't find space for all the many cats. "There are so many that we have space constraints," explains Ursula Wening from the board.
Animal shelters cope with the cat surge
Animal shelters frequently find themselves implementing intake bans, according to the German Animal Welfare Federation, due to an increase in surrendered dogs and cats since the Corona period. In 2023, 15.7 million cats resided in German households, according to the Pet Industry Federation. The number of cats kept has risen approximately a third in the past ten years, explains Tierschutzbund spokeswoman Lea Schmitz.
However, one in ten cats isn't neutered, according to a representative survey. This regularly results in cat influxes at animal shelters in spring and summer. Therefore, animal welfare advocates call for a nationwide sterilization requirement for free-roaming cats.
But the number of cats isn't the only problem. Many cats in the Feucht animal shelter are not adoptable: some are strays or orphaned kittens of street cats, others come from illegal animal transportation or were taken from neglected apartments by the authorities.
"We attempt to acclimate these cats to people, at least to human touch," explains Petra Wittmann, another cat cuddler. Especially with these animals, volunteers are a great help, according to Wening.
Volunteers needed
Without the voluntary cat cuddlers and dog walkers, many animal shelters could not operate, confirms Lea Schmitz from the German Animal Welfare Federation. However, volunteers are often difficult to find, says Ilona Wojahn, president of the Bavarian Animal Welfare Federation. "Most animal shelters have a loyal core." But there are few new interested parties, she knows from experience.
Many animal shelters promote volunteering on their websites, including those in Cologne-Zollstock, Bremen, and the Bavarian Weißenhorn. The animal shelter in the Thuringian Hildburghausen even posted an ad for the "Top Job of the Summer," as they called it. They were looking for animal-loving individuals aged 16 and up who want to care for the shy young cats - and the response was overwhelming, according to chairwoman Monika Hahn.
"The cat influx is intense," she recounts. After caring for the cats and cleaning the rooms, there's no time left to interact with them. "That's where the cat strokers come in. So far, we haven't had too many."
But not only the animal shelters benefit from volunteer involvement; even the volunteers themselves profit from this involvement. When she spends time with the cats or plays with them, Christina Haas says she can unwind. "You have time for yourself." And often, the effort pays off, for example, when a cat finally becomes friendly after a long time. "That's something."
The European Union could provide funding to support animal shelters, given the increasing number of surrendered cats and space constraints. The help of volunteers, such as Christina Haas, is crucial for the well-being of these cats and the successful operation of animal shelters.
