We are a non-profit association, made up of volunteers, dedicated to controlling feline colonies located within urban areas and residential housing communities.
Our main aim is to look after the wellbeing of the cats and guarantee an optimum co-existence with their neighbours through an ethical management of the colonies.
COCOGAT, from the beginning, has had a collaborative agreement with the municipality of Tossa de Mar, Girona, to promote the Controlled Colonies of Community Cats Model, based on applying TNR protocol (Trap, Neuter, Release).
A controlled colony is a group of sterilized cats who live in a public space, having food and water permanently available in habilitated areas. Only authorised managers take care of these colonies and are in charge of their maintenance.
The presence of street cats is customary in all municipalities. They roam freely, living together with humans and, for the most part, are not adoptable due to their lack of socialization.
If they are not controlled, cats easily reproduce. The abundance of cats can lead to an overpopulation, which in turn can cause environmental degradation and conflicts within the neighbourhood.
TNR MODEL | The most effective solution, as well as the least harmful, for controlling the community cat population is TNR protocol (Trap, Neuter and Release).
The first step consists in compiling a census of unsterilised cats. Of all the identified individuals, we distinguish between males and females. Afterwards, we plan the different phases of sterilisation. Once captured, the cats are moved to a collaborating clinic where they undergo a veterinary examination, are sterilised and a notch is made in their ear to be able to identify them. They are then returned to their original colony.
Authorised volunteers are responsible for managing the colonies. Permanent availability of food, dry kibble, and water means that the cats do not expand their territory, which eases the follow up on all members of the colony.
At COCOGAT, our intention is to assess all volunteers in the responsible management of the colonies: adequate food; cleanliness and healthiness of feeding and surrounding areas; veterinary follow up, and identification of non-sterilised cats. We also inform the neighbours about the benefits of applying TNR within their community. In addition to avoiding overpopulation, it eliminated the bothers of territorial marking, fights and excessive meowing during mating season.
TNR works as long as it is applied to all the individual members of a colony.
MEDIATION | In the event that the presence of community cats causes a conflict of interests, COCOGAT carries out mediation amongst the implicated parties (feeder, neighbours and municipal authorities). An essential task is explaining the efficiency of the TNR model, a methodology supported by the Ley de Protección de los Derechos y el Bienestar de los Animales, which came into effect 29 September, 2023.
It is important to highlight that collaboration amongst all implied parties is absolutely necessary for the successful management of a controlled colony of community cats.
TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE | If you detect a colony of unsterilised urban cats, you can make a petition to the corresponding local council.
In Tossa de Mar, you may make a request to the council vía on line or, if you prefer, you can also download the document and carry out the procedure in person.
Likewise, you can send an e-mail to mediambient@tossademar.org or call 972 340 100. By any of these means, the local council will get in contact with COCOGAT in order to manage the colony.
The above cited law obliges local organisations “to have in place plans to control the population of community cats”, including “sterilization programs” and “management protocols for neighbourhood conflicts”. Spanish legislation also stipulates that local councils assume responsibility for the community cats’ veterinary attention.
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