Capture-Neuter-Return: controlling feral cats

Torremolinos Council and the College of Veterinarians have signed an agreement for the management of the town’s urban community cat colonies.

The programme, Capture-Neuter-Return, aims to provide a practical and appropriate response to the feral cat colonies that have been proliferating in urban areas.

The Mayor of Torremolinos, Margarita del Cid, thanked the College for its willingness to contribute to the animal welfare and public health of all with an agreement that balances, “the necessary control of colonies with respect and care for these animals”.

The president of the College of Veterinarians, Juan Antonio Luque  said that, with the signing of this agreement, Torremolinos show, “it is at the forefront in the management of cat colonies in the province of Malaga”.

The agreement will entail capture; identification and marking; a feline virus test; deworming and anti-rabies vaccination; sterilisation of males and females and return to the colony.

The identification by means of microchips of the animals captured will be subject to registration in the Animal Identification Register managed by the Andalucian Council of Official Veterinary Associations.

The cost of microchips for animal identification, anti-parasitic products against echinococcosis, rabies vaccines and documentation for identification and registration will be paid for by the Malaga Veterinary Association.

The Town Hall will bear the costs of sterilisation, rabies vaccination, microchipping and deworming, as well as the basic health care treatments, amounting to a total of €27,000.