Shelter reports surge in kittens arriving in Vorarlberg

Vorarlberg’s animal shelter is currently taking in unusually large numbers of cats and kittens, ORF Vorarlberg reported. The number of young animals has risen significantly, particularly during the summer, according to the shelter.

The shelter sees failure to comply with the neutering requirement for outdoor cats as one possible reason. Around 600 cats arrive at the shelter each year as found animals or for placement. They stay for about four weeks on average before finding a new home.

Kittens are especially popular with prospective adopters, but young cats are often underestimated. Cats are relatively easy to obtain, including online, and some owners only realise later how much work young animals require, the shelter said. Other cats are handed in as found animals.

In Austria, cats with regular access to the outdoors must generally be neutered. Animal welfare organisation Vier Pfoten criticised the possibility of bypassing the rule by registering cats as breeding animals.

That can allow outdoor and stray cats to continue breeding without control. Vier Pfoten said the problem was particularly serious on farms and called for stricter checks and the removal of the exemption.

Older cats and animals with health problems are also waiting for new homes at the shelter. They often have more difficulty being placed, although an advantage of older cats is that their personalities are already clear.

People who want to adopt a cat from the shelter can book an appointment online. Appointments are released weekly and adjusted according to the number of cats currently available for placement. Found animals can only be placed with new owners after a statutory one-month period, provided their original owner has not come forward.