Benidorm sterilizes 245 stray cats within the urban colonies control campaign

The Department of Health has presented the data of the campaign of sterilization of cats that live in urban colonies and without owner carried out throughout the year. The councillor of the department, Mónica Gómez, explained that "this campaign has been carried out since 2016 with the objective of sanitary and reproductive control of the 34 colonies in the city, and that add approximately 800 animals."

As in previous years, the City Council has received a grant from the Provincial Council of Alicante for the development of this campaign within the provincial program of sterilization treatments of urban colonies. On this occasion, "the subsidy has amounted to 15,000 euros, an amount higher than the previous year, which has allowed us to expand the scope of the campaign and treat a greater number of animals than in previous years." To this subsidy is added the municipal contribution of 6,000 euros.

Specifically, according to the data provided by Gómez, “during this 2019 campaign, 245 specimens have been captured, sterilized and released, of which 101 have been males and 144 females”. In the previous year, 161 animals were treated, and 147 in the 2017 campaign.

Gómez recalled that "these campaigns are carried out by applying the CES method, consisting of the capture of animals, transfer to veterinary centers and sterilization by professionals, and subsequent release in the same colonies of origin." The mayor has stressed that "this method is considered the most effective to control the population of stray cats, as well as the most respectful with animals", and added that "the capture, transport and subsequent release of the specimens is carried out by a specialized company hired by the City Council ”.

In addition, if they are sterilized, cats and cats are treated in veterinary clinics "where they have a sanitary examination, they are wormed and they are given the rabies vaccine."

The head of Health has thanked once again "the involvement of the Official College of Veterinarians of Alicante, with which the City Council has signed a collaboration agreement for the development of this campaign and whose indispensable help to carry it out."

Gómez has pointed out that “we find that the number of colonies is increasing depending on the activity of some people, who surely act with good intentions, but transgress the Municipal Environmental Ordinance, which establishes the prohibition of feeding to animals on roads and in public areas, even using food scraps, which not only attract cats but also rodents or certain species of insects. ”

Finally, the mayor said that "with this and other measures, we believe that in a few years it will be possible for the population of stray cats that constitute urban colonies to stabilize and cease to be a potential problem that may affect public health."