Animal Lovers - Help Feed The Cats & Kittens

[lovemallorca]

Both Pollensa and Alcudia have wonderful people who run animal refuges to protect stray and ill-treated cats and dogs.

Despite that, there are still a number of occasions where locals choose to abandon animals elsewhere, leaving them to fend for themselves.

We are huge animal-lovers, and always make a point of feeding these mainly stray cats whilst we are holidaying in the area.

From reading other threads on here, I can see that previous visitors have fed animals, and have even chosen to adopt and bring animals back to the UK. We have also seen others doing so, and have returned to the UK just hoping that others will "take-over" when we have gone.

Perhaps it would be good to use this thread to advise others of any animals that may appreciate a little care whilst you are on holiday? That way we can hopefully maintain a more regular supply of food for these animals, and improve their welfare.

There are certainly not large number of them around like they used to be, but to start the ball rolling there is a little family of cats who live behind the bank (opposite the Satyricon Restaurant) in the main square of Old Town Alcudia.

There is about five of them, and there number has just been increased by some recently born kittens being dumped there in the last few days. They can be seen by a sidegate, leading to the rear of the bank.

Please help them if you can - And add anymore than you may know about to this thread.

 

[Gommar Goffer]

First of all welcome lovemallorca - please do post often and frequently.

However I am affraid that I have to approach your thread with caution and advice. I am a cat lover and have two of them at home myself but there is a very big difference between pets and wild animals I am afraid! Please do not feed the wild cats on Mallorca - the problem has only recently been brought under control

They scavenge and spread disease I am afraid - I am not having a go, i am just advising restraint - despite how cute and adorable they look. It seems cruel but it is everybodies interest that their numbers are not allowed to escalate.

 

[Sparky]

I have to agree with GG and i will be honest with you, i am not a cat lover but i would not hurt them. However you did say that these "wild cats" are close to a restaurant and i really hate to be pestered by animals when i am eating. By feeding them you are encouraging them and i know of a few places that have notices up, requesting patrons NOT to feed them as they know there is a real possibility that they will be overrun by them, in their wild state they are not really any different to rats .
Sorry if this is not what you want to hear but it is my opinion.

 

[El Gordo]

Feral Cats and Dogs

This is a very difficult situation where one can be overrun with emotion and sense goes out the window!!

Don't get me wrong as a cat lover I know its difficult not to take pity on starving Kittens etc. but what needs to happen is for money to be donated to those organisations rescuing cats and dogs like Victoria's etc.

They need to be financed to set up a scheme for trapping and neutering feral cats and dogs. And also a scheme to encourage the neutering of all cats/dogs that are not in breeding programs.

This, in my opinion, is the only way to help these poor animals in the long run.

Thanks Love for raising the profile of this problem.

 

[sws97sdg]

Hi lovemallorca and welcome, we too are animal lovers and have visited the refuge in Pollenca and seen for ourselves the wonderful work the owner does in rounding up the stray cats and dogs, looking after them and re homing if possible. I would not encourage feeding them near the restaurants as this isn’t fair on the animals or owners, but the majority of country places we have stayed in come with the own strays which we always feed and like you hope the next occupants carry on the good work feeding them. In an ideal world there would be no strays, but unfortunately this is a far from perfect world so help needs to be given to the strays were possible, also they are always grateful of any donations of food or money at the refuges, you can check out their web pages if you are able to help. They are having a charity dinner on the 7th July as well, details below Refugi d'animals de companyia de Pollença

Dinner in aid of the Animal Refuge of Pollensa
Wednesday 7th of July 2010 at 21.00 hrs. at the Trattoria & Pizzeria LA TRENCADORA, Pollensa.
25 euros

 

[sws97sdg]

Sounds like the refuge needs our help even more now, look out for the collections tins.

Pollensa animal refuge breaks with Council
STAFF REPORTER
POLLENSA’S animal refuge centre will no longer be collaborating with the local council, Josefina Vivancos who has managed the shelter for the past 28 years said yesterday.

Vivancos had already said last week that from now on, she will stop providing homes for stray and abandoned animals that the council catches through independent operators. “We want to continue functioning under our own rules as an animal refuge,” she explained. “We will never put a healthy animal down.” For eight years, the Pollensa Animal Refuge has had a close professional relationship with the Council. An agreement had committed the town hall to paying the refuge 60'000 euros a year for catching and keeping abandoned animals at the shelter but the council is now owing last year’s instalment.

The council has decided to change the modus operandi and said that it would now have a direct contract with a company for catching the strays and that it would put a maintenance contract out to public tender for those organisations interested in housing the animals.

The Animal Refuge Centre refused however to become part of the arrangement because were it to have accepted the council’s most recent terms and conditions, then there would have been a limit on the time that they would have been funded to keep animals at the shelter.

Vivancos made it crystal clear yesterday: “It is I who have broken off the relationship with the council,” she said. Vivancos claimed that since its inception, the ethos of the shelter was to rehouse abandoned animals.

She said that now the council were wanting to impose their own rules which included the destruction of healthy animals if they were not rehoused within less than a month. “I won’t take in the animals which the council catches if I have to accept their terms,” she insisted. “I have decided not to have anything more to do with the council in this regard.”

 

[Belladonna]

Sorry sws - we must have been copying this at the same time! Have just posted under Daily Bulletin too.

 

[sws97sdg]

Thats ok, better twice than not at all, anyway mine was also a reminder of the need to support them if you think it is appropriate and if you are able too.

 

[fil6699]

This is a very difficult situation where one can be overrun with emotion and sense goes out the window!!

Don't get me wrong as a cat lover I know its difficult not to take pity on starving Kittens etc. but what needs to happen is for money to be donated to those organisations rescuing cats and dogs like Victoria's etc.

They need to be financed to set up a scheme for trapping and neutering feral cats and dogs. And also a scheme to encourage the neutering of all cats/dogs that are not in breeding programs.

This, in my opinion, is the only way to help these poor animals in the long run.

Thanks Love for raising the profile of this problem.

As an animal Lover and a Dog owner I could not agree more with GL I know first-hand how difficult it is for Victoria's to keep things going and the best way to help is to help them directly. Feeding the wild cats and kittens is not helping and some years ago measures had to be taken to reduce the extensive amount of these wild cats. By feeding them this will only result in the same thing happening. I know how sad it is to see them but please be assured by giving the food or whatever you would have to those wild cats to people like Victoria’s you will be doing a great deal more in the long term. GL I especially like your idea of them having the funding to trap and neuter these Feral cats.
As a last note also please be aware that often these feral cats can have feline aids and other complications which can easily be spread into the domestic cat population.

 

[debz1]

I too love cats and dogs and hate to see any abandoned animal suffering, but I have to agree with others that feeding them is not the answer. Feral animals are wild and not domesticated. They spread diseases, breed out of control, and unfortunately have to be culled if the situation gets out of hand. The only support you should give is a donation to one of the refuges, that all do an amazing job, and hope that a neutering programme can be set up.

I know first hand how emotions can overtake, but it will only make the situation worse in the long run. I tried for months to get help for a dog that lived in the house next to our apartment, and who was being terribly mistreated. I visited the refuge in Pollensa twice begging them to intervene, but unfortunately the family moved to Sa Pobla before anything was done taking poor Dina wth them. It breaks my heart to think she is probably still living the same awful existance that I witnessed.

 

[Sparky]

As an animal Lover and a Dog owner I could not agree more with GL I know first-hand how difficult it is for Victoria's to keep things going and the best way to help is to help them directly. Feeding the wild cats and kittens is not helping and some years ago measures had to be taken to reduce the extensive amount of these wild cats. By feeding them this will only result in the same thing happening. I know how sad it is to see them but please be assured by giving the food or whatever you would have to those wild cats to people like Victoria’s you will be doing a great deal more in the long term. GL I especially like your idea of them having the funding to trap and neuter these Feral cats.
As a last note also please be aware that often these feral cats can have feline aids and other complications which can easily be spread into the domestic cat population.

I am already witnessing the increase in the feral cat population here in the centre of the Port and i am afraid this is because someone is going around the streets putting food down for them. At night i can hear them fighting and making those horrible noises like babies crying and in the morning there is the most awful smell of tom cats in the doorways to the apartments.
By all means send financial support to the refuge but please do not feed the cats.

 

[BonysLad]

I am already witnessing the increase in the feral cat population here in the centre of the Port and i am afraid this is because someone is going around the streets putting food down for them.

Sparky,

Do they come from the waste land up near the La Vall roundabout cos I have an idea who it might be ?

Will have a word in their shell like when I come out in April .

BonysLad

 

[fil6699]

Dear Lovemallorca please don’t read all these posts in response to your plea and think that we are all being negative to your understandable concerns and as a result avoid the forum. Your highlighting this problem is much appreciated and we all hope you continue to read and post here. But I do hope you now see both sides of the problem of Feral cats not only for the people who live on the island but also for the domestic pets on the Island thank you and welcome

 

[Sparky]

Sparky,

Do they come from the waste land up near the La Vall roundabout cos I have an idea who it might be ?

Will have a word in their shell like when I come out in April .

BonysLad

Hi BL,
I'm afraid i don't know where they come from but the food is placed on paper and left on or near doorsteps.