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Updated: 11/05/2005
Overpopulation of stray cats is a major problem in Israel. Overpopulation is attributed to some of the following factors:- Poor sanitary conditions with easy availability and access to food remnants;
- Irresponsible cat owners who allow their cats to roam the street, reproduce and take no responsibility for the resulting litter, or who abandon their cats when they can no longer afford to keep them, move away or go on vacation;
- Feeders of cats who do so without supervision and control over the quantity of food they supply or the number of homeless cats in the vicinity.
Stray cats are subject to hunger, suffering, disease and death. They are exposed to cruelty and their life span is significantly shorter than pet cats. A stray cat lives an average of 3 years in comparison to a pet cat which may live an average of 10 years. To deal with the problem, the Ministry of the Environment has drafted guidelines on feeding street cats and guidelines to residents of building on means of dealing with cat colonies in their area. These guidelines, which take account of both the obligations and rights of feeders, relate to spaying and neutering, checking for disease or injuries, feeding in public areas which do not disturb neighbors, providing dry and clean food, maintaining cleanliness, etc. The guidelines endeavor to find a working balance between all sides - cats, feeders, neighbors and the environment. Moving Cats from their Natural Environment Moving cats from their natural environment may be an offense under the law, but it is also likely to exacerbate the overpopulation problem since it creates an ecological vacuum. When existing cats are removed from a cat colony, new strays, which are not neutered, simply move in and the breeding population explosion continues. Law and Enforcement Recognition of the fact that feeders of stray and feral cats exist in every city has led the Ministry of Agriculture to issue a procedure for dealing with feral cats which relates to such aspects as trapping, feeding stations and euthanasia. Cat feeders should comply with these procedures and with the guidelines of the municipal veterinarian and municipal bylaws. In recent years, two decisions by the High Court of Justice related to the treatment of stray and feral cats. In the most recent decision, the court called for a revision of the existing procedure, which was written by the Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture, in order to prevent large-scale and random euthanasia and, in essence, to give legitimacy to stray cats. In line with the court’s decision, a committee has been established, with the participation of the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Environment and Interior, local authorities, veterinarians and representatives of animal welfare organizations, to see how to implement the decision in Israel. One of the main questions on the agenda is how to act in case of a complaint about a feral cat which is causing nuisances. Poisoning cats is an offense under paragraph 4 of the Animal Welfare Law, 1999. Offenders are subject to imprisonment.
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