Tarragona’s cat colony associations are asking for more volunteers to help care for the city’s stray feline population. Groups such as RodoGats and GatsTGN say they are managing more colonies with fewer people available.
Gloria Herrera of RodoGats said there are nine associations in Tarragona dedicated to managing the city’s cat colonies. She said volunteers often fit the work around jobs and family life, and many also pay veterinary and food costs themselves.
These groups feed stray cats, build shelters and use the Capture, Sterilisation and Return, or CER, method. They are asking residents to volunteer, even for a few hours a week, so the animals can continue to be cared for.
More than 300 cat colonies are officially registered in Tarragona, although the associations believe many more exist without being counted. They are also asking independent feeders to contact their nearest association, so work across the municipality can be better coordinated.
Herrera said respect for feeders, who are mostly women, is important. She reported incidents including car oil and urine being poured into water bowls, and shelters being burned, which she said puts both the cats and the environment at risk.
On council support, Herrera said the city is becoming more aware of its legal duties, but help is still not enough. She said associations receive about 7,000 kg of feed, which she described as one 18 kg bag per colony. She also said she uses 80 kg a week for one colony, and that colleagues face similar costs.
David, a feeder and co-founder of GatsTGN, has launched GatsTGN.com to support Tarragona’s stray cats and colonies. The project works with feeders, associations and volunteers, and includes food, veterinary care, shelters and support for the CER method. Readers can also follow local coverage on Catalan News.
