Cat flood in Peine: Animal shelter calls for care help!

Cat flood in Peine: Animal shelter calls for care help!

There is currently a tense situation at the Peine animal shelter, which is regularly confronted with a veritable flood of cats and kittens during kitten season. The head of the animal shelter, Heike Brakemeier, reports a high workload and acute space problems. What is particularly noticeable is that the quarantine stations are fully occupied due to the large number of mother animals and their offspring. The animal shelter therefore had to impose an admission freeze at the beginning of July, which is expected to last until at least August 21st. The reason for this decision is clear: there is simply no room for any more animals.

A large number of people contact us every day who want to give away dogs or cats - on average there are around two to three calls per day. The animal shelter is currently only able to accept found animals. The majority of the cats and kittens come from the surrounding communities of Ilsede, Hohenhameln and Wendeburg. In order to get the situation under control, the animal shelter is calling for a uniform castration requirement, but since this legislation has to be decided at the municipal level, there has been little movement here so far.

Urgent call for foster homes

The call to find foster homes is particularly important, as eight such places are currently missing. Animal lovers who are willing to help can contact the animal shelter directly. The only condition is that an extra room is available. The animal shelter covers the food and veterinary costs for the contracted veterinarian for the foster homes. These are often required because pregnant mother animals and their kittens also have to be accommodated until a permanent placement takes place.

The search for private foster homes typically begins around April of each year, when mother cats give birth to their babies. It requires a lot of support during this time as kittens need to be bottle fed frequently and require a lot of affection. It is also important that the mother cats receive sufficient attention during this time. The little furry wonders can be vaccinated in their second month of life before they return to the Peine animal shelter or are available for adoption - of course always with prior self-disclosure and consultation. The shelter provides food and utensils if foster homes cannot provide them to make breeding easier.

Compulsory castration as a preventive measure

Another issue that needs to be addressed in the context of cat overpopulation is neutering. A routine procedure that usually occurs without complications has numerous advantages. The age at which cats are neutered should be between four and six months to prevent reproduction while reducing health risks. Depending on the veterinarian, the cost of castration is between 150 and 250 euros, although in specific cases it can even be up to 300 euros. This measure can significantly reduce the number of strays, resulting in fewer cat fights, fewer injuries and less disease transmission. The risk of traffic accidents also decreases because castrated animals are no longer looking for sexual partners.

With the admission stop at the Peine animal shelter and the urgent request for support from foster homes, it is clear that there is a lack of a joint approach to solving the problem in animal protection. Only through sensational cooperation and the willingness to castrate can we hopefully soon return to some degree of normality.

For further information and help, those interested can visit the websites of the animal shelter and the animal protection association: News38, Peine animal shelter and Animal Welfare Association.