Hundreds march through Palma for cat colony care

Hundreds take to Palma’s streets on Sunday, 6 September, demanding proper care for cat colonies and action from local authorities. The march begins at 12.00 in Plaça d’Espanya and heads to Plaça de Cort, led by a batucada.

The protesters say Spain’s animal welfare law must be applied to community cats — cats living in colonies — wherever they are. Their rally takes place alongside demonstrations in other parts of Spain under the slogan “Cats have a law”.

Organisers, including cat-colony carers and animal protection groups, want authorities to take responsibility for what they call genuine, ethical and effective management. Placards carry messages including “If we do not go out, nothing changes” and “Do not exploit those who care”.

Law duties and the gap on the ground

The animal welfare law sets out municipal duties for community cats, including identification, registration, sterilisation, veterinary care, food, shelter and welfare.

But demonstrators say many municipalities still fall short of those obligations. In their view, the problem is not a lack of laws but an uneven and ineffective application of the existing rules.

Call to stop shifting the burden

The group says the work should not be pushed on to volunteers. Instead, they are calling for lasting public policies, planning, funding and systems to monitor how the rules are carried out.

They also argue that obeying the law must not depend on a postcode.

Topics: Protests · Social affairs · Politics · Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com