The following solutions should be seen as part of an overall approach, and not as recommendations that can be selectively implemented:

• Street cats must be fed in accordance with guidelines provided by the local veterinarian, according to municipal by-laws and guidelines for dealing with feral cats prepared by the Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture.
• In authorities where it is permitted by law, cats should be fed in public areas.
• Feeding requires good quality food that doesn’t spoil, doesn’t litter and doesn’t disperse in the area (dry food is recommended).
• Water should be provided.
• It is important to collect any leftover food as well as dishes at the end of the feeding period and to ensure that the area is clean.
• Medical treatment should be provided when needed to ensure the health of the cats.
• The cats should be fed at regular times, to the extent possible, and in a demarcated area.

Dealing with the Problem in Local Authorities

• Providing information and instructing the public on maintaining cleanliness.
• Scrupulously ensuring that animals have no access to garbage, improving the level of environmental sanitation, and ensuring that garbage disposal units are intact.
• The Ministry of the Environment encourages spaying and neutering by local authorities. In recent years the Ministry has provided matching funds to local authorities for this purpose. We believe that spaying and neutering street cats in accordance with the recommendations of research on the subject will preserve the ecological balance in this area. The cat population will remain stable, and both the intrusion of new cats and proliferation of pests will be limited.
• The Ministry of the Environment encourages cooperation between regular cat feeders and local authorities through the establishment of feeding stations and their support.

(Translated from the Hebrew by Shifra Paikin)