Regensburg calls for responsible animal husbandry: Neutering cats is animal welfare

Created: 02/22/2022, 13:50

The city of Regensburg is calling for the castration of domestic cats.

© Julian Stratenschulte/dpa/symbol image

In the fight against feral animals, the Environment Agency in Regensburg points out that castration is part of keeping cats responsibly.

Regensburg - In Germany, around two million feral cats live on the streets.

The animals pose an immense problem for nature. They are a great danger, especially for small birds.

Amphibians and young rabbits also fit into the prey scheme of the small predators.

In order to curb the rapid spread, the environmental office of the city of Regensburg is now calling on cat owners to have their pets neutered.

Regensburg: Neutering cats is part of a responsible attitude

The castration of cats and tomcats before they are sexually mature is part of a responsible attitude, according to a press release.

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Matthias Engel, head of the veterinary department at the city's environmental agency, explains that most feral animals "are descended from cats that were in the care of people and whose reproduction was not controlled".

Life on the street is not only a problem for other small animals, the cats themselves also suffer from it, as Matthias Engel explains: "Unlike wild animals, they belong to a domesticated species and are therefore not adapted to life without human support. When cats are permanently away from human care, they often experience “significant pain, suffering, or harm.” 

Regensburg: cats multiply rapidly

Cats have an extremely high reproduction rate: A female cat can have two litters per year from the age of five months, each with four to six offspring, which are also capable of reproduction from the age of five months.

In this way, numerous new generations emerge within a few months. 

According to the Environment Agency of the City of Regensburg, this means that many released cats have to lead their lives under poor, animal-friendly conditions.

They then suffer from parasite infestation, malnutrition and infections.

“The life expectancy of cats without human care and medical attention is significantly less than that of cats in human care.

Cat diseases such as cat colds occur significantly more frequently, and the proportion of malnourished cats is also significantly higher," explains Matthias Engel. 

The castration of cats and tomcats is therefore an indispensable part of animal welfare.

Castration is a purely routine operation that usually runs without problems.