A large portion of a city’s inhabitants are cats - some have owners and homes , others have been cast out or are born on the street and seek to find food by scavenging in rubbish bins , cellars or there are those who feed them on some corner or in a courtyard . Recent statistics estimate that in Riga alone there are some 200 000 feral cats. We frequently get irritated by several of their unappealing habits - their irritating loud springtime “wedding” yowling ,tom cats marking every nook and cranny with their pungent-smelling urine , the many fights which can result in bad injuries. Then the females give birth to multitudes of unwanted kittens which nobody wants. They get run over, dogs catch them or they end up at the mercy of cruel people . They are sickly , skinny , with discharging diseased eyes and die in cellars , attics or courtyards…. One female cat in the space of six years is capable of accounting for a compound total of 420 000 offspring. It is and would be impossible to home all of them. Moreover second and third generation street - born cats cannot be acclimatized to living with an owner. Such feral cats are no longer ‘home’ pets but nor can they be considered wild for they need humans to survive. This is a new species of cat – the urban cat. That is a reality which exists , one we cannot pretend to ignore.
Our association “Animal SOS” is developing a system which has already gained success elsewhere in the world by using a feral cat control programme “catch – sterilize – set free”. Sterilization consists of removing a cat’s reproductive organs. The operation is straightforward and the cat speedily recovers. After several days the cat is returned to its usual habitat. If necessary veterinary assistance is provided and in places which pose unsafe surroundings , special cat ‘homes’ are set up. One cat’s care costs approximately 15-40 EUR ( a female cat’s sterilization costs 25-40 EUR , a tomcat’s castration 15-30 EUR , and the putting to sleep of an animal – 10-30 EUR.) One cat ‘house’ where 8 – 10 cats could shelter together costs 200 EUR.
This project is being realized by the protection association “Animal SOS” together with veterinary clinics. The project is continuing the work begun in 2005 by the animal welfare and protection trust together with the “Animal friends trust” named “Urban cat life” which was halted in 2007 as the scheme relied on funds donated by Riga council. However local council contribution is not enough and so we seek assistance from the public at large in order to continue such important and worthwhile work.
The project foresees an active public role in the solving of the feral cat problem, by getting cats to those veterinary clinics which have legal agreements with “Animal SOS” to put into practice the “catch – sterilize – set free” scheme . If there is a large , unsterilized cat colony in your neighbourhood, get in touch with “Animal SOS” by ringing 22027095 , or alternatively by e-mail : Further information is to be found in our web page www.dzivniekusos.lv
The Project is placed online on: 20.01.2017
Project completed 31.12.2017
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