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Date Published: 21/11/2022

ARCHIVED - Spanish scientists declare war on feral cat colonies

ARCHIVED ARTICLE -

Several groups in Spain have called for the eradication of wild feline colonies to protect biodiversity

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Spanish scientists declare war on feral cat colonies

Towns and cities all across Spain have reported an explosion of feral cat colonies in recent years and now several groups from the scientific community have come together to request more effective measures from the central government to eliminate unwanted populations.

There’s actually only one native species of wildcat in Spain. The ones frequently seen foraging in urban bins and creating a nuisance around tourist hotspots are common house cats that were long ago introduced from the East to control rodents on farms.

These mostly feral animals are already creating a noticeable ecological imbalance, breeding unchecked and preying on native species, and their proliferation is particularly damaging in places like the Balearic and Canary Islands.

"The presence of feline colonies or feral cats should not be allowed in sensitive areas, including insular ecosystems and areas inhabited by species of conservation interest," the latest report states.

Since the new Draft Law on Animal Welfare was approved in August, rights groups including SEO/Birdlife have been calling for tougher control mechanisms, but the scientific community has gone a step further, demanding that civil or criminal liability be established when these colonies impact threatened species.

The groups have highlighted the irony that not “a single euro” of government funding goes towards protecting many bird species, small terrestrial mammals, bats and reptiles that are routinely exterminated by the cats, who also spread flea infestations and disease, often to humans.

The solution, all of the experts agree, is a more effective sterilisation programme that controls the feral cat population in a safe and humane way. One way of doing this is to locate problem colonies in a technical and scientific way, so that at the very least all females can be spayed to prevent new litters. A surveillance campaign should also be mounted so that new members of the colony can be identified and sterilised quickly.

Finally, the group has stressed the importance of vaccination, deworming and microchipping in the animals that are captured for sterilisation. "In this way, according to the president of the International Foundation for the Protection of Animals, “cat colonies will not increase in number and effective control and care of them can be carried out, avoiding the problems alluded to by biologists."

Image: Pixabay

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