This unusual cabin is intended to accommodate “free cats”, that is to say “the stray cats we have identified…
This unusual cabin is intended to accommodate “free cats”, that is to say “the stray cats that we have identified, trapped [capturés, Ndlr], then sterilized, before releasing them, and all have a small mark on their ears”explains Sylvie Gautier, municipal councilor in charge of animal protection, who would like to review the contract with 30 million friends in order to be able to organize trapping campaigns as needed, and no longer twice a year.
With these dodos, we create a den for the cats, we centralize them.
The idea of the town hall is to fix these populations of cats without a master in order to better regulate it. “With these dodos, we create a den for the cats, we centralize them. To trap them, it will be easier »observes Sylvie Gautier. “And then, we offer them a small, warm home for the winter”smiles Sylvie Morandière, a very dedicated volunteer.
A few years ago cabins were made from old furniture. “We had six in different corners of the city,” notes the elected official. But the experiment did not go further. Till today. “I broke Morgan’s feet [Berger, le maire, Ndlr] ! I wanted them to be barrel-shaped, to recall the city’s economy. »
Inauguration Friday, June 17
A discussion between the mayor and Jean-Charles Vicard, the boss of the cooperage of the same name, ended up advancing the project. “Mr. Vicard offered to make them and offer them to us. »
Thus, the La Chaudronne cat sleeper is a prototype, made from scrap staves and topped with a stainless steel roof, outsourced to a cooperage partner. It has no bottom, to facilitate cleaning and will rest either on a concrete slab or on a wooden pallet, protected by an enclosure to prevent dogs from disturbing the cats. “Inside, we will put a cushion that we will make with the help of senior volunteers”says Sylvie Gautier.
It’s the only one installed so far. It will be inaugurated this Friday, June 17. But soon, others will follow. “Twenty-four in all have been ordered and will be placed before winter in about ten sites in the city (1) that we have identified, specifies the elected official. Depending on the populations observed on site, we will place one, two or even three dodos, as will be the case here [dans le jardin partagé, Ndlr] »where eight tomcats were counted by Sylvie Morandière, three of which remain to be sterilized.
And these dodos, the City is very proud of them. “It’s really a great project, with this sponsorship and because everything had to be structured to find out who will do the maintenance and feeding of the cats. » Volunteers will thus be provided with a feeding card indicating that they are authorized, “because it sometimes causes tension with people who can be aggressive when they see people feeding these cats”.
It remains to be hoped that the cats will find in these dodos all the comfort they are looking for.
1- Rue Gustave-Flaubert, allée Charles-Baudelaire, rue de Valdepeñas, rue Louis-Guillet, rue de Constantine, rue de Bellefonds, rue Sainte-Barbe, rue Henri-Vorspal, rue du Capitaine Guynemer and rue Jean-Mermoz.
A planned cattery
This cat sleeping project is part of a resolutely proactive policy on the feline issue and more broadly on animal protection. Three working groups have been created. The first concerns the fight against abuse, largely managed by the municipal police. “And it’s not an easy task”, argues Sylvie Gautier. A project will see the light of day at the start of the school year, with the children, as part of extracurricular activities with an exhibition which could see the light of day in June 2023. “The idea is to go through the children to touch the parents, remind them that animals have rights and their owners have duties. » The City also wishes to set up a single number for reports.
The second group is responsible for setting up cat sleeping quarters. As for the third, it concerns the creation of a cattery. Because to date, there is no refuge for felines in the agglo, the Cognac SPA (the Bonbonnet refuge, in Ars) only accepting dogs. “We would like it to be carried by the Cognac SPA, which agrees, but for it to be installed in the city. We would like to put a cat bar there where we can drink a coffee in the middle of the cats, and, who knows, adopt one. » All that remains is to find the place, which may take time.
