Several hundred thousand homeless cats in Sweden • Want to put an end to the myth: “Is a year-round problem”
A few years ago, there were approximately 100,000 homeless cats in Sweden, according to reports. Linnea Stålhandske, director of operations at Djurens vänner in Skåne, believes that figure has multiplied many times over today.
– But you can only guess because there is no investigation and there is no knowledge. And then buildings are built, says Stålhandske.
Summer cats are a joke, she says.
– The media likes to talk about it. But those of us who work with homeless cats do not perceive that there have ever been summer cats, but it is a myth. We see a problem from January to December.
– It is a year-round problem, she adds.
Big problems in autumn: The cats get a runny nose
Homeless cats that give birth to their kittens early in the summer are often in good condition because, among other things, they have a greater opportunity to catch mice. But the further into the year, the worse the condition of the cats, she says.
– Now in the autumn we have huge problems with various viruses. It affects their immune system, which becomes worse due to starvation. At the moment it is cat flu that is a big problem. And for the cats still left in homelessness, it is the hunger and the cold that is creeping in now.
Animal friends in Skåne receive three to seven emergency calls about homeless cats every day – despite the new law that the cat must be ID marked and registered with the Swedish Agricultural Agency.
– I think we need to look at it over a very long time, perhaps a ten-year perspective. Of course, we are hopeful that it has had an effect. What we see is that more cats are chip-tagged but very many fail to register them.
“Unfortunately, it’s a women’s issue”
What can be done about this?
– Authorities need more resources and we need more information about the homeless cat. We have to share the responsibility, says Stålhandske and elaborates on the reasoning:
– Many people in Sweden think: if I find a cat, I call a non-profit organization. But really, it is the county administrative board that you should contact. But the resources at the county administrative boards are incredibly low. What you do in many cases is euthanize them. It increases the pressure on us non-profit organisations. Now we not only have to save the cats from the street, we have to save the cats from the county board.
Do you need more money from the government?
– Money, means, attention and an investigation of the situation. Unfortunately, it is also a women’s issue. It is mostly women who get involved with the animals on a non-profit basis, and then this question automatically gets a low status.