Cat lovers in Rincon de la Victoria learn how to care for street cats at town hall course

Stray cats come in large numbers across Rincon de la Victoria and in many parts of Spain. If you have ever wanted to help out and wondered how, Rincon de la Victoria has the answer with local lessons.

Course for cat carers

Rincon de la Victoria held the sixth edition of its course for feeders and trappers of feline colonies on Wednesday, September 30, running from 5.15pm to 7.15pm in the council chamber at the local town hall.

The town hall’s health and consumer affairs department, organised the sessions, covering feeding, handling and capturing the animals, as well as guidance for carers on managing colonies.

What is CER

CER stands for Captura, Esterilizacion y Retorno: capture, sterilisation and return. Cats are trapped, neutered by a vet and returned to their territory. Town hall rules make this the priority method for settling neighbour complaints about colonies. They also call for courses like this one, so that volunteers follow shared guidelines on capture, feeding, hygiene and veterinary care. Our earlier report on how Rincon de la Victoria is managing its feral cats ethically explains the approach in more detail here https://euroweeklynews.com/2026/03/27/rincon-de-la-victoria-boosts-feral-cat-control-with-ethical-management-to-cool-local-tensions/.

Rincon de la Victoria currently has around 90 registered colonies, according to local media. It reports that 1,109 cats have been sterilised, 549 of them with a microchip. Close to 150 volunteers have completed the course in earlier editions.

Wide spread issue across Spain

Local councils are responsible for managing community cats under Spain’s Animal Welfare Law, known as Law 7/2023. Volunteers in several regions say councils should fund that work rather than rely on unpaid carers. You can also read about how €1,950,000 of a new €4 million animal welfare fund has been reserved for councils that manage cat colonies.

If you missed the September session and would like to help out where you can, email coloniasfelinasrincon@gmail.com for more information and to ask about future upcoming courses.