Escaldes-Engordany Council Allocates €38,000 Yearly to Manage 259 Feral Cats Across 26 Sites

Escaldes-Engordany parish council allocates over €38,000 annually to monitor and manage feral cat colonies across 26 urban sites, where 259 animals are registered. Environment Department figures provided to the Andorran News Agency (ANA) show that 188 cats have been sterilised and 153 fitted with microchips, leaving 71 awaiting sterilisation and 35 sterilised but without identification.

The largest concentrations appear at La Plana enclosure (28 cats), Ensucaranes road (26), Obac road orchards (25), and Pardals street orchards (20).

To oversee these groups, the council has contracted a technical firm for €26,615.15 per year and a veterinary centre for €11,579.60. The firm handles animal transport for epidemiological checks, maintains records on colony sizes, locations, identifications, vaccination status, sterilisations, and deworming treatments, and compiles site-specific activity reports. The veterinary centre delivers diagnostics, vaccinations, sterilisations, deworming, and routine care.

A dedicated council staff member coordinates the contractors, supplies food to colony feeders, and manages the rollout of feeders, shelters, and signage promoting animal welfare standards. The agreements run for an initial year, with options for annual renewal up to four years total.