Several animal protection associations in Saône-et-Loire have joined forces to warn against the spread of stray cats. They call for animals to be sterilized and identified to prevent their overbreeding.
She spends four to five hours every day cleaning, feeding and petting her dozen cats. An investment that for Evelyne Maillot, president of the “Les Chats du Pilon” association, is not a task: “I got in touch with the association a few years ago and I told myself that once I retired it would be a good idea to look after the cats. Because to do that, you don’t have to work!“
Among his felines, some are old – like Voyouze, 20 and a half years -, others are still kittens – Hercule is only two months old. What do they have in common? All were adopted. And everyone lives directly with Evelyne. “We are not a shelter: the cats we take in are directly at the homes of the association’s members“, she explains.
Caring for so many cats is not without financial consequences. In 2023, the veterinary budget amounted to around 22,000 euros. “And next to that, there are the budgets for stingrays, pâtés… on average we use almost two tons of stingrays per year.“A cost which is difficult for the association to bear, despite a subsidy provided by the city of Le Creusot (Sâone-et-Loire) and private donations.
As a result, and in the face of the still significant influx of stray cats, several animal welfare associations have organized themselves into collectives. The aim: to make public authorities aware of the urgency of ensuring compliance with article L. 212-10 of Rural and Lake Fisheries Code. The latter makes it mandatory to identify cats before their transfer.
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“Identification makes it possible, in case of loss of the cat, to find it“, explains Laetitia Conte, president of the association “Les Chats de Saint-Charles”.And above all, it helps to avoid wild abandonment. However, 95% of owners who do not have their animal identified do not sterilize it, leading to massive spreads. Sterilization is essential.“
However, the spread of cats can have significant consequences for local biodiversity. “As it is a super predator, as soon as it arrives in the land, the small wildlife does not survive.“, continues Laetitia Conte.”Then stray cats, if not sterilized, will be more likely to fight and potentially spread diseases.“
As a reminder, leaving an animal behind is punishable by three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros. A penalty that can reach up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros, if abandonment led to the death of the animal. Every year in France, around 200,000 animals are taken in by pounds and shelters.
