Rescue for Raderberger cats: Animal rights activists fight for help!

Rescue for Raderberger cats: Animal rights activists fight for help!

In the heart of Raderberg, at the Cologne wholesale market, a dedicated team looks after the free-roaming cats, who lead a very rough life there. Bruno Spatola and Mania Leveringhaus have made it their mission to help these furry residents of the wholesale market as much as possible. They are supported by the animal protection organizations “Katzenschutzbund Köln” and “Straßenkatzen Köln”, which are committed to the welfare of the animals. Because the situation is serious: around 150 cats roam around here, the number of unreported cases could be even higher because not all of the animals can be detected immediately.

Most of these cats are feral and shy of people. Interestingly, many were settled by traders to keep the mouse and rat population in check. However, the closure of the wholesale market at the end of the year could pose a great danger to the animals, as the end of the market would also put their habitat at risk. The animal rights activists therefore plan to capture the cats, provide them with medical care, castrate them and relocate them to suitable new habitats. However, adopting cats is difficult because only kittens can usually be adopted.

Castration as the key to the solution

Castrations are an important topic in animal protection, even if there is currently no nationwide castration requirement for free-roaming cats in Germany. The situation is completely different in Cologne, where over 722 cities and municipalities already have cat protection regulations that make castration mandatory. A single unneutered cat can produce up to 370,092 offspring over the course of seven years. This means that a comprehensive neutering requirement could not only improve animal welfare, but also help to stabilize and reduce the stray cat population.

The animal rights activists in Cologne have already had many cats castrated, but often have to return them to their usual environment because there is no suitable place for medical follow-up care. The animal rights activists are looking for an empty building to ensure quarantine and medical care. The city is currently examining the concept, but a final decision is still pending. While the SPD supports medical care for the cats, the CDU opposes the relocation of the animals. The Greens express concerns about the building needed for animal rights activists.

Together for the cats

The animal rights activists rely on financial support in order to be able to carry out their mission successfully. They are determined not to give up and even submit a petition to advocate for a suitable building. It is not only a challenge for the animals, but also for the animal welfare organizations that do everything they can to improve the lives of cats and guarantee their health. It's good that there are committed people like Bruno Spatola and Mania Leveringhaus who stand up for the little creatures and are passionate about a better life for the free-roaming cats at the Cologne wholesale market.

In the past, companies like “Pro Katze” were significantly involved in castrations and were committed to catching the cats, providing them with medical care and then releasing them again. This could also represent a suitable solution for the situation on the Cologne wholesale market. If the city takes the necessary measures, animal protection can take a positive turn, for the benefit of Cologne's four-legged residents. The Cologne wholesale market is not only becoming the center of trade, but also a place of change for many homeless cats.

The future remains exciting, and we can only hope that the necessary support will come quickly so that the cats in Raderberg don't fall by the wayside.