Loipersdorf cat shelter reaches capacity as 40 animals await homes

More than 40 cats are waiting for new homes at the Katzenhaus cat shelter in Loipersdorf, in the Oberwart district, ORF reported. The animal welfare association Wir fürs Tier is seeking additional private foster homes to care for cats until they can be adopted.

The shelter is currently almost full. Association chairwoman Alice Siebenbrunner said an old house that was due to be demolished had been renovated and converted into a facility for cats in distress without homes.

Space shortages occur every summer, when the association has to care for large numbers of kittens. Siebenbrunner said many people still failed to comply with mandatory neutering, allowing cats to reproduce rapidly and producing large numbers of unwanted kittens.

The Katzenhaus is financed largely through donations and supported by volunteers. The association also works with eight private foster homes. It covers veterinary costs, while families provide the day-to-day care.

One foster carer, Heike Kalchbrenner in Bernstein, has taken in about 15 kittens over the past year. She said the animals are given time to settle in, taken to the vet for check-ups and vaccinations, and cared for according to their needs. The youngest are nursed back to health, while shy cats are gradually socialised.