“Cat on the move… SLOW DOWN”: If you pass through the town of Mennecy in Essonne, Villers-sur-Mer in Calvados or Houdainville, in Eure-et-Loir, you may come across this road sign like no other.
These are unusual road signs to say the least. In Mennecy (Essonne), Villers-sur-Mer (Calvados), Houdainville (Eure-et-Loir), Villotran (Loir-et-Cher) or even in Alès (Gard), subtitles red and white triangles “Cat on tour”, with the drawing of a black cat on the loose, appeared. Their goal: to encourage drivers to slow down.
It was Lionel Garnier, founder of the “Aux Mennechats” association and municipal agent of Mennecy, who had the idea for these “Cat on tour” signs. Faced with the growing phenomenon of cats being killed on the roads in his town, he suggested that the municipality take action.
Jean-Philippe Dugoin-Clément, mayor of Mennecy and vice-president of the Île-de-France region, already involved in animal protection, immediately supported this initiative. After several years of waiting, a participation budget from the Île-de-France region was awarded, making it possible to obtain €10,000 to design and install the panels.
The locations for mounting the panels were chosen based on the risk areas identified by Lionel Garnier’s association (small residential roads, near residential properties), but also near symbolic places, such as veterinary clinics and the city’s equestrian center. They remind drivers to stay alert, day and night.
Reduce speed and noise
In addition to protecting the animals, these signs also aim to reduce the speed of motorists and reduce traffic noise, thus making the neighborhoods more pleasant to live in.
Thanks to this initiative, Mennecy has strengthened its status as an “Animal-friendly city: 3 paws”, the highest level of this brand, for the second year in a row, with congratulations from the jury.
Cats are great explorers who like to venture far from home. Unfortunately, the road is sometimes fatal for them. In France, a certain number of cats are run over every year, and among them many are not identified, making the identification of their owners difficult. If the animal is not claimed within 12 hours of its discovery, the law requires it to be reported to a destruction center. But of course other animals are also victims of the road: hedgehogs, rabbits, foxes, dogs…
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In Mennecy, alongside the “Kat på tur” sign, other initiatives have also appeared, such as signs calling for the protection of hedgehogs, a species also in danger of extinction.
The town of Villers-sur-Mer.
“Today, 36 signs have been installed in the city, of which 25 are for cats,” explains Lionel Garnier. Although several animal deaths are still reported due to speeding drivers, he notes a growing awareness among residents.
Since then, the “Cats on tour” signs, approved and free of rights, have attracted other municipalities in Ile-de-France, Normandy and even the south of France. “I don’t receive a euro for my invention. My only victory would be if one day I go on vacation and see one of my signs,” concludes Lionel Garnier modestly.
