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Spain Launches €1.95 Million Fund to Help Councils Manage Feral Cat Colonies Humanely

 

The Spanish government has announced a new €1.95 million funding programme to support local authorities in the ethical management of feral cat colonies across the country, as part of its national animal welfare strategy.

 

The initiative, led by the Ministry of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs, is designed to help councils manage stray and semi-feral cat populations through humane, controlled methods rather than removal or uncontrolled feeding.

 

Applications opened on 11 April 2026 and will remain open until 10 June 2026, with successful projects scheduled to run throughout 2027.

 

Funding for Humane Population Control

The grants will be available to local councils, provincial authorities and municipal associations that already operate approved ethical cat-colony management programmes.

 

Eligible funding can be used for:

• Sterilisation programmes
• Veterinary treatment and care
• Training for municipal staff and volunteers
• Improved feeding and colony infrastructure
• Public awareness and education campaigns

 

Individual projects can request between €10,000 and €80,000, with all applications subject to competitive evaluation.

 

CER Method at the Centre of Policy

The programme is based on the CER system (Capture, Sterilise and Return) — a widely used animal welfare approach supported by veterinarians and many local authorities.

 

Under the method, cats are humanely captured, sterilised, and returned to their original territory to prevent uncontrolled population growth while maintaining stable colonies.

 

Authorities say CER reduces breeding cycles, improves animal health, and helps manage long-term colony sustainability more effectively than removal-based approaches.

 

Legal Framework and Local Responsibility

The initiative is linked to Spain’s animal welfare law, Ley 7/2023 de bienestar animal, which places responsibility on local authorities to manage feline colonies using ethical and regulated systems.

 

To qualify for funding, municipalities must already have approved management plans in place, including registered colonies, veterinary coordination and structured sterilisation targets.

 

Balancing Welfare, Residents and Environment

Feral cat colonies remain a sensitive issue in many Spanish communities, where they are often supported by volunteers but can also raise concerns among residents over noise, hygiene and environmental impact.

 

Wildlife organisations have also highlighted potential effects on local biodiversity, particularly in urban parks and coastal ecosystems.

 

The government says the programme is intended to strike a balance between animal welfare, community concerns and environmental protection, while reducing reliance on informal volunteer-led feeding systems.

 

Impact at Local Level

Although nationally funded, the scheme is expected to have a direct impact at municipal level,

where much of the day-to-day management of cat colonies currently falls to volunteer groups.

Authorities say the funding could help:

• Reduce pressure on unpaid volunteers
• Improve veterinary oversight
• Create more consistent colony management systems
• Prevent repeated population growth cycles
• A Structured Approach to a Long-Standing Issue

 

Officials describe the programme as part of a wider shift towards structured, evidence-based animal welfare policy, moving away from ad hoc local arrangements and towards coordinated national standards.

 

Successful projects will run from January to December 2027, with applications submitted digitally via the ministry’s official portal.

 

Local Impact: Benidorm and Surrounding Costa Blanca Area

In popular tourist and coastal areas such as Benidorm, as well as nearby towns across the Costa Blanca, the funding is expected to be particularly relevant. These areas often see higher concentrations of feral and semi-feral cat colonies due to dense urban neighbourhoods, hospitality zones and year-round visitor activity.

 

Local councils in the region already work with volunteer groups to manage colonies in parks, residential estates and seafront areas, and the new scheme could help formalise and expand sterilisation programmes, improve veterinary support and reduce pressure on community volunteers while maintaining the visibility of cats that are now a familiar part of the local streetscape and tourism environment.