Rescue for Cologne's stray cats: wholesale market closure threatens lives!

Rescue for Cologne's stray cats: wholesale market closure threatens lives!

The Cologne wholesale market in Raderberg is about to finally close. At the end of 2025, the traditional trading center will be closed, putting not only the traders in trouble, but also the numerous stray cats that have found a safe home there. The Cologne Cat Protection Association is sounding the alarm because the closure could have dramatic consequences for the animals. For years, the market has been a refuge for many cats, who have found feeding places and shelter here. With the closure, they will lose these livelihoods and may subsequently be displaced, as Radio Erft reports.

In order to alleviate the suffering of the animals, the Cat Protection Association has launched an aid campaign. As many cats as possible should be neutered and given medical care by the end of the year. Finding new owners is also on the agenda. Over 100 cats have now been successfully neutered. However, the initiative faces major challenges because many of the animals affected are old or sick and cannot easily be captured or rehomed. The situation is tense; Signs of restlessness and stressed behavior are reported among the remaining cats, while at the same time individual animals disappear under unclear circumstances, as Change.org states.

Call for help from cat protection organizations

The Cat Protection Association appeals to the population to actively support the relief campaign. The organization also calls on the city of Cologne and those responsible for financial support and the provision of heated stables or similar accommodation for the cats in order to enable them to get used to it gently. These accommodations should be available for at least six to eight weeks to allow the animals to acclimatize in a stress-free environment.

In order to address the challenges, local animal protection organizations such as Straßekatzen Köln e.V. and Katzenschutzbund Köln e.V. are also required. They take responsibility for the care of the cats and have already set up a donation account to pool the necessary funds for medical care and relocation.

Fundraiser and petition

Anyone who would like to help the four-legged residents of the wholesale market has the opportunity to donate. The donation account at Sparkasse KölnBonn has been set up and every support counts: IBAN: DE03 3705 0198 0013 5227 43, BIC: COLSDE33XXX. Alternatively, you can also donate via PayPal at skk@strassenkatzen-koeln.de with the intended purpose “Grossmarkt Köln”.

In addition, a petition to save the cats was launched with the ambitious goal of collecting over 10,000 signatures in order to put as much pressure as possible on those responsible. The collection will run until shortly before demolition at the end of 2025, and the support of Cologne citizens remains crucial.

The Cat Protection Association and other committed animal rights activists are doing their best to save the cat situation in the Cologne wholesale market. May the fate of these animals not be sealed and may the city of Cologne work with its citizens to find a humane solution before it is too late.

For comprehensive information and current developments regarding the fate of cats, those interested can visit the website of the Cologne Cat Protection Initiative. Current campaigns and success stories are reported here, showing that every bit of help counts.