Cat crisis in Dachau: animal shelter fights against growing population!

Cat crisis in Dachau: animal shelter fights against growing population!

There is currently sad news from the local animal shelter in Dachau. A four-week-old kitten that weighed just 450 grams was found in a field. It had over 100 tick bites, fleas, worms and suffered from anemia. The animal shelter staff immediately took care of the little creature. But despite all efforts, the pious kitten could not be saved. The Süddeutsche reports that more and more such cases are putting the animal shelter in dire straits.

The situation is made even more difficult by the rapidly increasing number of stray cats in the Dachau district. The chairwoman of the Dachau Animal Welfare Association, Silvia Gruber, describes the uncontrolled reproduction of cats as a serious challenge. Communities such as Altomünster, Markt Indersdorf, Petershausen and Röhrmoos are particularly affected. In Röhrmoos alone, 26 cats have already been caught, including three heavily pregnant animals. This oversupply is overwhelming the animal shelter, which currently looks after 108 cats, even though it has capacity for only 80 to 90 cats.

Demands for castration

The animal shelter has already taken measures to care for more cats, such as converting the small animal house. Nevertheless, it is clear that caring for stray cats is intensive and lengthy. The keepers often work in teams of two to look after the sick animals. It is often the case that mother cats are too weak to breastfeed their babies, which forces the carers to take on this task.

The Dachau District Office appeals to all cat owners to have their animals neutered, labeled and registered. Why is this so important? Cats are able to reproduce from the age of five months and can be ready to breed again just three to four weeks after birth. Simple measures such as neutering could help control the population and thus prevent such desperate situations as in the case of the little kitten from occurring again.

Call for support

The animal shelter team consists of four full-time employees and two temporary employees, but the need for more support is immense. Caring for the cats requires a lot of time and resources, and the current circumstances pose major challenges for the animal shelter. The Süddeutsche emphasizes that the call for support is of great importance.

The animal welfare association also recommends that if someone finds a stray cat, they should first ask the neighborhood for the owner. If there are any signs of illness or other problems, the animal shelter or veterinary office should be contacted immediately.

As a community, it is up to us to address the challenges of animal welfare. This is how we can work together to make such tragic stories a thing of the past.