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Local charity helps reduce farm cat population

Corinne Geiser of the Four Paws animal charity along with her colleague Sinnika Jenni have been out to a local farm in Hünenberg again to check if they have caught any more stray cats in traps which have been laid for them. And indeed there are, four in fact.
 
It was the farmer himself who called for help from Four Paws charity to help with the cats on his farm. Of course these are not the sort of cats who rise at ten-thirty to be fed on fresh dairy milk and prime cuts of beef before they curl up again in front of a roaring fire. These are feral cats which survive on their wits every day of their lives.
 
The farmer, who preferred to remain anonymous, said he had called in the charity to help as he had up to 14 cats prowling around. He thinks that some people come with their unwanted cats and just leave them at the farm. "Not that I have anything against cats myself," he said. "In fact if they are good mousers they are very welcome."
 
The cats are then taken to a local vet to be examined, castrated if appropriate, wormed and injected. Normally the costs of the operation are borne equally by the owner, the charity and the vet, who does not charge anything. "We do not want people not to come because of the expense," said Geiser (photograph).
 
According to research undertaken by a cat food company, there are 1.5 million cats in Switzerland, though it is uncertain how many of these live in Zug. The cantonal veterinary surgeon, Werner Limacher, said that farm cats reproduce a lot and often end up sick, which is why he welcomes the castration project to reduce their numbers. The cats are wormed at the same time, which gives them greater resistance to disease. Furthermore, after being castrated, they are less likely to roam and hence are less likely to be killed crossing a road.
 
The Swiss Animal Protection Society also provides a similar service, castrating some 10,000 cats a year, of which 6,400 are farm cats and 3,500 strays. In 2010, 154 cats were castrated in Zug.
 
Once treated the cats are returned to the farm and released. Female cats can only be spayed in January and February as after then it is possible they may be pregnant.
 
Limacher advises people who find stray cats not to feed them, as this may prevent them from returning home. "With their instinct and hunting skills, they are sure to find something to eat," said Limacher.
 
If you find a homeless cat you can call the Zug branch of the Animal Protection Society on 041 711 00 33 or find further information on www.tsvzug.ch. The Four Paws charity can be contacted on 043 311 80 90 or by downloading www.vier-pfoten.ch.
 


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