By Julia Gualtieri
Published on
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This is a first in Lagny-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne). From April 28 to May 12 in the Rothschild district and near the media library, the Ani’Meaux association was carrying out a campaign to sterilize stray cats. An essential action, although complicated.
The town of Lagny has just signed in mid-February a agreement with the Meldoise association. This is a sign of this more and more: “There are other associations, but everyone is overwhelmed”, explains Delphine, volunteer and referent of the feline wandering center created two years ago within the association.
300 kittens in a lifetime
Each year, an unsterilized cat can give birth to about thirty kittens, or 300 in a lifetime which themselves will reproduce. “It’s exponential. Unfortunately, sterilization is not an obligation”, regrets Delphine. In addition to sterilization operations, the members of the association try to to raise awareness a maximum. “People are more likely to sterilize females, because the consequences impact them directly,” she explains.
Raising awareness about sterilization
Male sterilization suffers from certain stereotypes, she adds. “A lot of people do anthropomorphism and think it’s painful for males. In reality, convalescence is faster for males: in 48 hours they are restored against a few days for females”.
The life of an entire cat is also not obvious. “It causes a lot of fights. And for the few non-sterilized females, the moment of heat is not a cakewalk when several of them fall on her, ”underlines Delphine.
If sterilization has a cost, the volunteer would like to point out:
For people who are not taxable, there are clinics that can take care of the operation. There is always a solution.
A first operation in Lagny
To try to regulate the phenomenonthe Ani’Meaux association therefore conducts campaigns that respond to a strict protocol. First a communication from the town hall, to warn all cat owners: “We have the means to check if the cat is identified. If that’s the case, of course we don’t touch it.”
In addition, volunteers target reported cats as wanderers by the inhabitants. “The fact of announcing makes it possible to obtain reports. In Lagny we had 4 or 5 for this first operation. The census is a big job, you have to check, sometimes meet the people…”.
A whole logistics
During the operation, it is still necessary catchwith a methodology on which the association prefers to remain discreet so as not to give ideas to ill-intentioned people and then manage the supported. A whole logistics: “The agreements make it possible to cover the cost of sterilization. But veterinarians are not always available. It is therefore necessary to be able to keep the cats before and after, the time of convalescence, ”explains Delphine. But the association does not always benefit from premises for this and must call on host families.
“free cats”
And once sterilized, or even vaccinated if necessary, the cats are identified.
They get free chat status, which is a recognized status. This means that they are sanitary managed.
For this first time, it was a small operation. A second will take place in September. “The problem is that we lack volunteers. Within Ani’Meaux, no one is an employee. And for these operations, we need human resources. This is the sinews of war, ”she summarizes.
Call for volunteers
As well as host families, as previously mentioned. “All those who would like to join us are welcome”, invites Delphine. Before carrying out a first sterilization operation, the volunteers are of course formed and can follow the referent in certain interventions to see how it goes.
And for those who would like to help without having the time, it is possible to make a donation to the association. “When we place a cat in foster care or when we keep them for the time of remission, we have to feed them, provide litter… all of this has a cost and our funding is made up solely of donations”.
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