Altea pampers street cats with 15 luxury new homes
Woofstock concert funds shelters as part of town's feline welfare plan
Altea Ayuntamiento has rolled out 15 stylish new shelters for urban cats in authorised colonies, boosting welfare through teamwork with local feline groups and vets. The €2,608 raised at the recent Woofstock charity concert went straight into building and placing these "mansions", which protect food and water from weather and other animals while blending into the town.Councillor for Animal Welfare Anna Lanuza thanked everyone involved. "Caring for cats is a shared responsibility. The Ayuntamiento will continue working towards ethical, sanitary, and responsible management, but the commitment of all citizens is essential," she said.
Vet and department head Ana Cabrera explained the Ethical Management Plan for Feline Colonies (PGECA) focuses on "the ethical and progressive reduction of stray cats through sterilisation and by maintaining their well-being". Over 90 authorised volunteers, plus El Port, Algar and Medivet clinics, help run it.
The shelters mark International Cat Day on Thursday February 20, fitting the TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) approach experts favour for controlling populations humanely. Lanuza noted they are "more than shelters, they resemble feline communities where animal welfare also becomes a hallmark of the municipality."
The Ayuntamiento reminds owners of key rules: sterilise cats before six months, microchip and passport them, vaccinate against rabies, deworm yearly against echinococcosis (a risk to humans), and keep pets off public streets. "Responsible cat ownership by legal guardians is a fundamental pillar for the proper development of the PGECA and for the prevention of abandonment, unwanted litters, traffic accidents and public health problems," Lanuza added.
Feeding strays without permission is banned to safeguard health and order. Accredited caregivers feed, check health and spot newcomers. It's heartening to see Altea prioritise its feline friends this way. For pet lovers here, it's a model worth watching.
Image: Ayuntamiento de Altea
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