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The only sustainable solution to the suffering of cats is consistent neutering. NetAP neuters cats from almost all cantons in Switzerland on an ongoing basis and is campaigning for a national neutering obligation for outdoor cats.
Here we give you an insight into some of the neutering campaigns we carried out in Switzerland in 2024. This list is not exhaustive, as we often refrain from reporting due to time constraints.
At the end of November, we received a report of a cat family consisting of a mother and three adult children from Morschach. The family was living off leftover food left by hikers and tourists at the nearby barbecue site. The mother had given birth to the kittens in the underground car park of the Swiss Holiday Park the previous summer. After an initial inspection, it was clear that these cats needed help. Finding places for a semi-feral family is a big challenge in December. Many animal shelters reserve places for paying holiday guests. Strubeli assured us of a room on 27 December, so we did everything we could to catch the cats for this date. However, one of the kittens was very clever and managed to resist the trap until 30 December, when its hunger was greater and, after a visit to the vet and neutering, it was reunited with its mum and siblings, who had already been through all this.
When we received a report of an abandoned cat in the industrial estate at the end of November, while there was half a metre of snow, we were quite astonished. The beautiful boy had been living in the bushes next to the main road for many months and had been fed, but nobody realised that the cat needed a home after all. Unfortunately, the animal shelters in the area were not prepared to take him in because they wanted to reserve the places for paying holiday guests. So we caught the cat and placed him in an emergency foster home. The vet also discovered that he urgently needed dental work. We were able to have this done on 27.12.24. He was finally pain-free.
Although the local people were happy to see him, feeding alone is simply not enough. An animal also needs veterinary care and a dry, warm place to sleep. If it is also a tame animal, a proper home is all the more important. Time and again we see people feeding cats, sometimes for years, without really taking responsibility. It is not uncommon to find cats that have been missing for a long time.
Everything had to happen quickly: Four of the chicks were apparently at risk of being shot and the fifth cat in the group was already dead. We had to act quickly and within a day we found a wonderful place with a wonderful farmer who couldn’t understand why anyone would shoot cats and therefore immediately opened her heart and yard to the endangered cats. A few years ago, we were allowed to take in cats at her place and the cats couldn’t have had a better time. A cattery was immediately set up and furnished. Then the cats were caught and taken to the vet, where they were examined, treated, vaccinated and chipped and finally they were able to move into their temporary home, where they got used to their new territory.
Such places are rare and yet they are constantly needed. Time and again, feral cats are told to disappear immediately. We are happy for every yard where the cats are really welcome and well looked after.
An elderly gentleman had to move into a nursing home and left behind some cats, which he fed but did not neuter or provide medical care for. Unfortunately, the newborns very often died of untreated diseases, which was the only reason why the population was still limited. After the father moved out, the daughter asked us to take care of the cats. We were able to catch all the cats and have them vetted and neutered. We are still looking for a home for the two youngest cats, but the older ones were able to return to their home, where the daughter will look after them in future.
The Lucerne farm had been producing and selling kittens for years. But here, too, they realised that it was no longer quite so easy to get rid of the kittens and so they finally decided to have the cats neutered. Nine cats have now all undergone the NetAP neutering programme.
After a death in central Switzerland, 21 Büsis fell by the wayside because nobody wanted to take responsibility for them. As the surviving relatives decided not to keep the animals, euthanasia was on the cards. Fortunately, we were able to intervene, catch all the animals and take them away. It wasn’t that easy and took several days. The house and garden were covered and it was not easy to find out how many cats there actually were. Using traps and surveillance cameras, we finally managed to secure all the animals. Three cats were from the neighbourhood. We were only able to find out thanks to our contact with them. It would have been unthinkable if they had listened to the heirs and killed all the cats.
All the cats were tested, vaccinated, treated for parasites, neutered if not already done, microchipped, had their teeth rehabilitated and many other treatments and procedures had to be carried out. Finally, we were able to drive them in different directions to take them to animal shelters that were willing to take in a few of the animals and find new homes for them. The Muttenz Cat Shelter, the Zurich Animal Welfare Centre, the Arche Cat Shelter and the Lucciolina Life Farm took in Büsis. Two that needed special care remain in our care.
NetAP bore the full cost of this operation. Also to relieve the animal shelters, which said yes to these cats at a time when they would rather be occupied by paying holiday guests. This is not a matter of course and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts! Although we have at least invoiced the costs that euthanising the animals would have entailed, we do not yet know whether we will receive the money. 21 lives were saved. That is the most important thing!
A successful neutering day took place at the end of November in Alpnach Dorf at Schmid Parkett. 56 cats went through our neutering programme. All of them had previously been caught by volunteers. The day was organised in collaboration with the Nidwalden Animal Welfare Association , which also catered for the team. 37 female cats and 19 male cats were examined, treated, vaccinated, neutered and marked. 20 of them are no longer allowed back into their territory and will be taken in by the Paradiesli animal shelter, which will be looking for a new home for them. Fortunately, almost all the cats were in a good general condition, so they were quickly fit and lively again. Another mission in Alpnach will take place in January.
In summer, a mother cat and several kittens were reported to us in an Aldi car park. Fortunately, we were able to secure them quickly and find shelter. However, it later turned out that there were other feral cats in a nearby dog school for which nobody felt responsible. So we went to the site again and set the traps. Another family of cats fell into our trap. They were all placed in an animal shelter. Two weeks later, in the middle of the night, the tomcat finally fell into our trap. He was also neutered, vaccinated, marked and treated for internal and external parasites.
On Sunday 17 November, we were once again able to stay at the Leimental animal clinic in Biel-Benken to neuter cats from various farms. It was a hectic weekend, marred by a few unpleasant experiences. For example, we had to find a life-affirming solution for four feral cats at very short notice because they had been threatened with death by shooting. There were also a few young pussycats in some places that people would rather not have back, which we were fortunately able to take to two animal shelters on Sunday.
52 cats went through the programme, one of which was un-neutered but chipped. After brief research, we realised that he came from a place where neutering is an absolute no-go. It was with a heavy heart that we had to return him unneutered. At least he can’t have any more offspring on the farm where we caught him. All the cats there have now been neutered.
A mother cat with her two kittens was already pregnant again. However, it was an extra-uterine pregnancy in the abdomen. The babies were already dead and the cat would probably have died in agony soon. It was a complex operation that saved her life. We took her home to observe her for a few more days.
Another chick suffered from a squamous cell carcinoma on the left ear, which meant that amputation of the pinna was unavoidable. This pet also remained under observation for a few more days.
In addition to the normal examination, treatment against internal and external parasites, vaccination, neutering and marking, many other extras had to be carried out on this day, so that the day was still long, despite the lower number of cats than in Lyssach, for example. We are grateful that the Leimental Veterinary Clinic gave us asylum, so that we even had an ultrasound available, which was particularly beneficial for the mother cat.
A farm owner contacted us because all the cats living on one of her summer pastures were going to disappear. It was originally agreed that we would catch and neuter the cats, but then set up a feeding centre on site, which would also be serviced regularly over the winter. However, when our team arrived on site, we were told that the cats were no longer welcome and would be euthanised if there was nowhere to put them. Once again, we had to do everything we could to find places for the five semi-feral cats. The mother cat, Ranja, seemed to have been through a lot; she only had three legs left, probably from a mowing accident. Ranja’s leg had to be amputated and, together with three male cats, she was neutered, vaccinated and treated for internal and external parasites. One kitten was still too small to be neutered. We were able to find places for all of them where they are welcome and no longer have to lead a life characterised by hunger and pain.
On 10 November 2024, the annual big Thurgau castration day took place again at Tezet in Müllheim. This day is a collaboration between NetAP and the animal welfare organisation Steckborn und Umgebung and is supported by the Swiss Animal Protection STS. Various local animal welfare organisations and farmers can benefit from this day. A total of 145 cats (74 females and 71 males) completed the programme. The demand would have been much greater, which shows how important such programmes are.
A vet told us about a farm in Thalheim that needed our help to neuter its feral cats. Originally there were 12 cats, but in the end there were 18. One male cat had already been neutered, all the others went through our programme. The case was particularly challenging because some of the mothers had kittens and kept them well hidden. As there had once been a case of leucosis on the farm, we tested the cats and then vaccinated them against this disease. Some cats were trusting and therefore quickly secured, others – especially the potent males – disappeared from time to time and only definitely returned when it got cooler. So it took a little longer before we were able to close the case completely. The farmers were very helpful and grateful and contributed more than average to the costs of the operation.
It was the first neutering day that we organised with the Villiger practice in Sins and it was a success: 51 cats, all previously caught by our trappers, were examined and treated. 47 of them were neutered, vaccinated and marked. With 30 females, the ladies were, as always, in the majority. It would have been unthinkable if they had all had offspring in the spring. Another female was not fit enough for anaesthesia. Together with the three offspring, who are not yet old enough to be castrated, she was allowed to move in temporarily with an animal friend to be properly nursed.
All the other cats spent a night in the warmth with good food before returning to their territory the next day.
It was an exhausting but very successful neutering weekend at Covetrus CH in Lyssach. An incredibly great team was on hand, consisting of trappers, drivers, vets, TPAs, trained helpers and cleaners. 120 cats were on the waiting list – 101 cats ended up on the examination tables. 56 females and 45 males. 8 were too young or too weak for anaesthesia. They will be neutered at a later date. However, they were examined, treated for parasites, given their first medication to make them feel more comfortable and housed. It’s good that we always have enough special medication with us.
The other cats were also examined, treated for parasites, vaccinated, marked and neutered. A few of them needed a lot more. Four cats, for example, had several nasty wounds that needed to be treated. As we were reluctant to release them, the Marfeldingen cat shelter agreed to provide them with a room so that their wounds could heal. Another pussy had a squamous cell carcinoma on her ears and so the auricles had to be amputated. Some teeth were also removed and other operations were carried out. A young girl cat was also in a bad condition and needed intensive care. She was allowed to move to a foster home.
Three Büsis, who are also too small to be neutered, are allowed to move into the cat house in Muttenz, where a new home will be found for them.
39 cats came from the Emmental animal welfare organisation and 19 came from the Biel/Bienne – Seeland – Bernese Jura animal welfare organisation. We would be delighted if animal welfare organisations took up our offer and used these neutering days to neuter even more cats. The Swiss Animal Protection STS will pay a share of the costs for all the animals brought to us by STS sections.
All the cats that stayed with us overnight were fed and checked on both Saturday evening and Sunday morning. They are all doing well and were returned to their territories on Sunday.
Although we don’t all work together on a regular basis on a day-to-day basis, as we all go about our normal business in different regions of Switzerland, we were a well-rehearsed team and could easily have examined, treated and neutered 30 more cats. But we are pleased that we were able to achieve an improvement for 101 cats and are already looking forward to the next mission.
An elderly lady in Uetendorf asked us for help. She had lost some cats and was afraid they might multiply in the spring. Unfortunately, she was not physically able to catch the cats herself with a trap and the local animal welfare organisation was not prepared to take on the task. Fortunately, all the cats quickly went into the traps and were allowed to return after treatment, where they continue to be fed regularly. However, two of the cats still need extensive dental work, which is why we will trap them again in January and take them to the vet. The cats now have a life without stress and pain ahead of them.
27 unneutered adults and 11 cats were living together with a few neutered cats on a farm in Ottikon. Although a cat had been neutered from time to time in previous years, things suddenly got out of hand and the owners came to us for help. We organised a neutering day at the Anima small animal practice in Stäfa and were able to neuter 24 adults on this day. The missing adults will be neutered at a later date, and the kittens will also undergo the neutering programme as soon as they are old enough.
The cats are doing very well on the farm. They are regularly fed and wormed and you quickly realise that they are welcome. All of them are well-fed, most of them are trusting and when the person responsible for the cats appears, they come running out of every corner to get a cuddle and a treat. This is how all cats should be allowed to live on farms.
An exceptionally intensive case took us to Trubschachen in the canton of Berne. The farmers contacted us after hearing about our work from relatives in the canton of Lucerne. On our first visit, we were told that there were around 25 cats on the farm. How wrong the owners were! We subsequently caught an incredible 60 cats, had them examined, treated, vaccinated, neutered and marked. Many of the kittens were already pregnant, and some were so far along that we had to put them in animal shelters to allow them to give birth and raise their kittens without stress. Fortunately, we were also able to find new homes for some of the kittens. Three months passed before the last cat was secured. Months in which we had to travel countless kilometres because the farm was remote; none of us really lived nearby. Perseverance and tenacity were particularly important here! The owners were very helpful and grateful, but were unable to contribute financially. So this case was not only very time-consuming but also very costly. Fortunately, however, the misery finally ends here and if a cat runs away, people know where to find us.
We make no secret of the fact that we are not a fan of breeding. Breeding animals only makes sense to us when it’s about preserving the species. In all other cases, we find it superfluous, especially in view of the many homeless animals. Of course, there are big differences between breeders and there are certainly responsible ones who want the best for the animals they produce. But we rarely have to deal with them.
When breeding gets out of hand, animal welfare often has to intervene. We were asked for help for the third time this year because breeders were in over their heads. We are happy to help if it means we can help the animals. However, only if the breeding is stopped and this is agreed in a contract with a contractual penalty.
We cannot always act immediately, but need some time to work with animal shelters to organise accommodation for the animals or direct placement. In this case, too, a transitional period was contractually agreed so that we could have looked for good solutions in peace. But the lady did not get well quickly. Shortly after signing the contract, she called us and threatened to have all the animals killed if we didn’t collect them immediately. Unfortunately, it was to be expected that this person would carry out her threat, which is why we collected the animals immediately.
They are all cats of the Devon Rex breed. A breed whose breeding is unfortunately not prohibited, although in animal welfare circles it clearly falls under torture breeding. The wavy and curly coat may appeal to many, but it is due to a genetic defect. The hairs are thin and short, and the tactile hairs are curled or twisted, making them unusable. It is not uncommon for them to be completely missing. Due to a keratin deficiency, the hair is even completely missing in some places. The cats have to contend with a number of problems that are alien to our ‘normal’ domestic cats. But breeders don’t care about that. They are concerned with profit, personal (and selfish) realisation and certainly not with the animal, as the lady in the current case has more than clearly demonstrated.
We have picked up the goblins and will make sure they have good accommodation. We hope that they will be able to forget the neglect they have suffered in recent years. They are lovely cats who more than deserve a carefree future.
It is by no means simply the farmers who are responsible for cat misery. The number of pedigree cats that we have to help is constantly increasing and these cats are taken care of by breeders who are constantly producing offspring for the sake of profit.
We were actually called to the Willisau area because of cats that didn’t belong to anyone, but when we set up the traps, a concerned resident informed us of young cats meowing pitifully from a balcony. The cats seemed to be locked out, nobody would care.
Our investigations revealed that the owners were on holiday and had locked the cats on the balcony with food for a fortnight without giving anyone access to the flat. In the meantime, one of the cats had got its collar stuck in its mouth and was unable to eat or drink. It was not clear how long this situation had existed.
We first called the police animal welfare department, but they waved us off. We would have to contact the police directly. But the police didn’t feel responsible either, not even when we explained that at least one of the kittens was an emergency. We would have to find out for ourselves where the owners were and then contact them.
Left to our own devices, we started asking around, ringing everyone’s doorbell and at some point we actually had the owner’s phone number in our hands. We called them and, after describing the situation via WhatsApp, were given permission to climb onto the balcony with a ladder to put the cat out of its misery. No sooner said than done.
After consulting the owners, we took the patient to a vet, who confirmed that the cat was in mortal danger and would not have lived to see the owners return without our courageous intervention. The owners paid the bill for the vet visit without hesitation.
In a subsequent conversation, we explained to the family about the needs of cats and managed to ensure that the people not only had a very guilty conscience but were also extremely grateful. They assured us that they would organise a cat sitter in good time in future and also neuter the cats. We will refrain from pressing charges because the owners have shown themselves to be understanding. Such behaviour would actually have been a criminal offence. But once again, no official body in Lucerne seems to be interested in this.
One particular case took us to Sempach in the canton of Lucerne. On a farm, a lady who claimed to be an animal rights activist had been taking kittens to sell for years. She never organised neutering herself. A few years ago, a few cats were neutered by local animal welfare organisations, but unfortunately some were left un-neutered. As there were now too many cats on the farm and there were no more places for the kittens, they definitely wanted to neuter all the cats and signed our neutering agreement. Although the situation was not easy, all the cats were caught, examined, treated, vaccinated and neutered. 11 kittens that had already been weaned were handed over to other animal welfare organisations. We were able to place one mother and her kittens in an animal shelter so that she can look after them in peace until they are old enough. The farmer is pleased that he can now look back on a healthy, neutered cat population and is glad to have taken this step and sought co-operation with us.
Anyone who thinks that cat misery is limited to rural areas is mistaken. There are also many stray cats on the outskirts of Zurich.
We seem to have a never-ending story in the Dolder to Gockhausen area. We have already caught and neutered countless cats here. The case that was recently brought to us was a very tricky one. A mother cat with six kittens was spotted, but moved her kittens somewhere else every time she wanted to start trapping them. Eventually we spotted her again at a house on a main road. We had to be careful because there was a danger that one of the cats might run onto the main road if it panicked. And the traffic there is murderous.
Fortunately, we quickly managed to catch the whole family. As always, we continued to set up the surveillance camera and noticed that two nights in a row a friend of ours, whom we had already neutered, came by, obviously to help the mum look after the six kittens. Her calls hit us right in the heart. We thought back and forth and finally decided to catch the kitten again and reunite her with the family. At least until the kittens have fledged and we can then release the two kittens together again.
No sooner said than done. After another night out, the beautiful black girl was trapped and reunited with her friend. People all too often underestimate the bond that can also connect animals intensively. Despite mass neutering, we try to cater for each individual animal. Because every life is unique. Because every life counts.
An exemplary case of cat misery in Switzerland brought us to Retschwil in Lucerne. In spring, there were only three unneutered cats living on the farm. When we were asked for help in the summer, there were already three times as many. We had to immediately organise a foster home for one of the kittens, who was about to give birth again, so that she could give birth to her four kittens in peace and safety. Fortunately, we were able to place three more kittens in an animal shelter. Here, too, we had to show a lot of perseverance for the last kitten until she finally went into the trap after two months.
Neutering is the only way to prevent suffering before it occurs. The cat population on the farm would have continued to grow. We are glad that we have been able to put an end to this endless cycle, at least here.
We stay on top of every case until we are sure that the last cat has been trapped and neutered. This is the only way to end the cycle of misery, at least at the location in question. This was also the case in Herbligen in the canton of Bern. It took over three months before the shy tomcat ‘Fränzu’ finally fell into the trap. As a few cats on this farm had already been neutered but not marked, it was not easy to always catch the right ones. Some of the females were also expecting kittens or already had kittens, which made the process more difficult. We were able to place eight kittens in an animal shelter and 18 adult animals were examined, vaccinated, treated for internal and external parasites, neutered and marked after being caught. They were allowed back into their territory, where they are fed and have a warm place to sleep. The owners actively helped, which we were very happy about, as this is unfortunately not a matter of course.
Once again we were in the Hochdorf constituency of the canton of Lucerne. A canton with a particularly high level of cat misery. Around 25% of our missions take us to this region. A TPA had asked us to take on this case and had actively helped with the trapping. The kittens on the farm already had kittens. Fortunately, we were able to place the kittens in good homes via animal shelters. The adult cats went back to the farm neutered, vaccinated and marked. Fortunately, the farmer agreed to neuter all the cats. It’s hard to imagine how many cats would otherwise have been on the farm next spring.
A woman from the canton of Jura reported several feral cats. The cats had come from a neighbouring house whose owners had moved away and left the cats behind. When the house was demolished, the cats moved in with her. She asked for help because she feared that there would soon be many more cats, as the animals were all unneutered.
We were able to place a female cat and her kittens in an animal shelter where she could raise her babies in safety. She was then allowed to return to the farm neutered, and the kittens were rehomed by the shelter. A tame, old and sickly tomcat called Pommels needed far more than the standard programme. His entire set of teeth had to be restored. He was also struggling with colds, ear mites and other age-related challenges and was given the appropriate treatment. We found him a new home where he will be fully cared for and spoilt. All the other cats were also caught, examined, treated and neutered and were allowed to return to the farm.
In the municipality of Guggisberg in the canton of Bern, we received a report of a stray mother cat and her four kittens in the attic of a garden centre. The reporters fed the cat family, so fortunately we were able to catch them quickly and take them to an animal shelter.
For many years, attempts were made to have a sensible discussion with the farmer about neutering the cats. Animal welfare organisations, neighbouring farmers, local residents – no one was successful. In the neighbouring district, all the stray cats now came from this farm. For years, the farmer’s wife preferred killing to neutering. When the son took over the farm, we made another attempt and this time it worked. The young farmer recognised the need and immediately signed our farm agreement. All the cats were caught, examined, treated and neutered and released back onto the farm a few days after neutering.
Once again, a report led us to Rain in the canton of Lucerne. A young farmer had taken over the farm from his father, who had never had a cat neutered over the years. That was about to change.
Given the time of year, we had to proceed very carefully, as it quickly became clear that many of the queens must be pregnant or had already given birth. We set up the camera for several days to get an overview. Thanks to our partner practice in Sins, we were finally able to catch the first animals one evening and quickly check whether they just had big bellies or were actually pregnant. We realised that some of the big bellies were not due to pregnancy but to a massive worm infestation. The cats were generally not in a good state of health and for many of them it was probably the last thing we did to save them. We kept at it until we had all the cats.
We neutered 26 adult cats. We placed five mothers with a total of 17 kittens in animal shelters. It was agreed with the young farmer that he would get in touch if a new arrival was discovered and that the cats would have to be fed in future. We provide regular donations of food for this purpose, although he has to contribute a large proportion himself.
In Läufelfingen in the canton of Baselland, we have been on the job countless times. Word has got around that we help the farmers to neuter the feral cats. In this case, the farmer couple had already had their farm cats neutered but had not discovered a litter and the four kittens had run wild, so they were unable to catch them themselves.
We were happy to help and were able to secure the animals very quickly. They were already old enough to go through the castration programme and were then allowed to return to the farm.
The Easter weekend was also all about cats, with new case reports coming in from everywhere. One of the challenges is to get enough neutering appointments at surgeries. The Rohner veterinary practice in Niederglatt came to our aid and offered to neuter cats on both Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. A huge help in view of the urgency!
For Sunday, 15 cats went into the trap, the three stragglers were caught on Monday morning. All of them were examined by the friendly team of vets, treated for internal and external parasites, marked and, where possible, neutered and marked. The pregnancy of four of the kittens was already too far advanced to justify abortion. Fortunately, they were all taken in by animal shelters. They can now give birth and raise their babies in a sheltered and cared-for environment. When the kittens are old enough, the mothers can return to the farm after being neutered.
The farmers on the farm in Rafz in the canton of Zurich had asked us for help because several unneutered cats had run loose or been abandoned on site. They had already neutered their own three cats and feared that an overpopulation would quickly develop without our intervention. If all the queens had had kittens, around 30 cats would have been added over the next few weeks. Now the population has been controlled in an animal-friendly and sustainable way and the farmers were very grateful for our help.
A restaurant business in Hünenberg in the canton of Zug noticed numerous feral cats. They sought help from the municipality. They were referred to the veterinary office, which did not consider itself responsible and referred them to the local animal welfare organisation. They in turn had no capacity for the case and recommended that the reporter contact us. Unfortunately, we are already the second, third or fourth point of contact in over half of all cases and the reporters are already quite frustrated. Realising that many people give up if they don’t get help quickly, we always try to help if we can. This was also the case in this case, where we caught eight cats and had them examined, neutered, vaccinated, marked and treated for parasites in Sins. A ninth was already heavily pregnant and was allowed to move to the animal shelter, where she gave birth to her kittens in peace and safety and was allowed to return to her territory after successful rearing.
It took some convincing, but in the end we were able to persuade the local people that the cats should stay back in their territory. They are fed by a local resident and any new arrivals would be reported to us.
It was no easy case that led us to the remote town of Broc in the canton of Fribourg. A lady had discovered skinny, unneutered cats and started feeding them out of compassion, despite her limited financial means. She told the social welfare office about these cats. They contacted the veterinary office to find out how the cats could be helped, as they urgently needed to be neutered.
In many cantons, the veterinary offices simply refer people to us, making life very easy for themselves. They don’t want to advocate compulsory castration as they fear it would create even more work.
Of course, we didn’t abandon the lady and trapped all the cats. With the support of Anicura in Lausanne, we were able to have them all examined, treated, vaccinated, marked and neutered. We also provided some food. We are glad there are people who look and seek help.
We were able to neuter two farms at once in Dagmarsellen in the canton of Lucerne. After the first farmer had signed that all cats should be neutered, we approached the neighbouring farmer about his cats and were also able to convince him that neutering is the only way to control a cat population in an animal-friendly and sustainable way. The pregnancies of three of the cats were already too far advanced for abortion to be an option. They were taken in by an animal welfare activist friend. After the birth and rearing of the kittens, the mothers are allowed to return to the farms, where they are already eagerly awaited. The friendly farmers emphasised several times that their twelve cats were very important to them.
A concerned neighbour reported a case in Liestal. Feral cats were living partly in a garden and partly in a nearby forest. Although the cats were being fed by someone, this person was not prepared to do anything more for the cats. The person who reported the cats had already discovered dead kittens and asked TSB Basel to put an end to this misery. The TSB in turn asked us for help and we took on the case. Ten cats were caught. Five kittens were already heavily pregnant and were allowed to move into the cat shelter in Muttenz, where they could give birth and raise their kittens in peace and security. The other five cats were examined, treated, vaccinated and neutered. One cat had an eye injury that had to be treated. In the end, all the cats were allowed to return to their territory. If we had not acted so quickly, 15 to 20 more cats would probably have been born on site into an uncertain future.
A cat population on a farm in Oberhasli was threatening to get out of hand because a local resident had failed to neuter one of his cats. She gave birth to five kittens, which were already feral when we contacted her. We had all six cats examined, neutered, vaccinated, treated and tagged and were able to find a place for the youngest, who was showing signs of impairment. We had to return the others. We had actually expected to find a place for all the wild ones. But where would they come from? If people showed responsibility beforehand and neutered them in good time, we wouldn’t be faced with the daily challenge of where to take unwanted cats.
A complicated case led us to two allotment gardens in Villars sur Glane in the canton of Fribourg. The report stated that there were countless unneutered cats. An on-site inspection confirmed a large number of cats. Unfortunately, all our instructions were thrown to the wind, agreements were not adhered to and we were not informed that some of the cats had already been neutered. In the end, the case dragged on for a very long time, but we finally – hopefully – caught all the cats. The cats that had already been neutered received dental treatment, which was sorely needed, so at least the anaesthetic was worth it for them.
Not quite 100 yet, but soon! That’s how many cats we’ve already caught in Mümliswil in the Thal district of the canton of Solothurn. We have just completed the last case. A farmer heard about our work from another farmer and asked us to help him neuter the entire cat population.
Time was of the essence, as the kittens were already in heat. We immediately organised the operation and kept at it until all 21 cats were trapped. One kitten was already at an advanced stage of pregnancy and was therefore allowed to move temporarily into the TSB animal shelter in Muttenz. Two cats had crooked heads and needed to be examined more closely. One older cat also stayed with us for longer to be monitored for a few more days. All the others were allowed to return to their territory.
The case came to us via the Bernese animal welfare organisation. Several cats had wandered onto a farm in Rüeggisberg. Presumably from neighbouring farms. The farmers are annoyed. Their own cats are neutered. They are happy to co-operate but are not prepared to bear the costs. As a result, we catch 7 female and 6 male cats and have them examined, neutered, vaccinated, treated and marked in Grösshöchstetten. Fortunately, the Bernese animal welfare organisation contributes to the costs.
All the cats were allowed back and are being fed by the friendly farmers. We are very happy about this, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to find places for shy or even feral cats.
We were talking about six cats when we had the neutering agreement signed on the farm in Niederbuchsiten. In the end, we caught ten. Because we kept at it and kept the camera on for a while.
All too often, farmers don’t know how many cats they really have. Because every now and then one runs in, every now and then kittens are born and not all of them find buyers and for many other reasons. It is therefore important to analyse the situation and keep at it until we can be sure that no cat is left unneutered.
The last cat – who we named Natalia – didn’t go into the trap for quite a while. If we had given up, there would soon have been 3-6 more Büsis on this farm and we could have started from scratch.
We were actually travelling on another case when we happened to notice a cat in a pitiful state in the meadow next to a road. We had no way of catching the cat at the time, but the sight of the poor creature was enough to keep us going. Eventually we found out where the cat belonged. The farm was aware of the cat’s condition but was not prepared to help him.
We were able to convince the farmer to allow us to catch, treat and neuter all the cats and to catch Gino – as we named the patient – and take him home. Gino’s life was hanging by a thread. He was completely malnourished, had severe diarrhoea, a chronic cold and other problems. He stayed with us as an inpatient for a fortnight and was given medication in his food, which he took without any problems. For once, he always had a full bowl of food in front of his nose. The other 11 cats were able to return to their territory the day after the vet visit.
Canton Lucerne again and again! The canton of Lucerne is a canton with a particularly high level of cat misery. This case was brought to our attention by an animal welfare campaigner friend. An almost 90-year-old woman had feral cats. She feeds them, but due to her age she is no longer able to do more. One of the feral cats is completely underdeveloped. She was told they came from the farm next door. When we enquired there, they said no. They only had tame cats and they wanted offspring from them. The arguments that there were already far too many cats did not go down well. In the absence of compulsory neutering, farmers can breed as much as they like. Nothing is regulated, hardly ever controlled.
All we could do was make sure that the feral cats didn’t multiply at the nice lady’s house. We caught them, had them examined, treated, vaccinated and neutered and returned all but the runt. The little one will remain in our care until he is healthy enough to be returned or a place can be found for him.
The case came to us via the Biel-Seeland animal welfare organisation because the farm was not in their area of operation. The farmer estimated that he had 7-10 cats. We subsequently captured 16 in total. Some were in a pretty bad condition and he didn’t want them back if possible. We returned six cats after they had been examined, treated, neutered, vaccinated and marked. Fortunately, we found new homes for the other cats. We see so often that farmers have no overview of their cat population. We are all the more grateful for every farm that has all its animals neutered.
A farmer reported three stray cats. Unfortunately, responsible farmers who have neutered all their cats are always struggling with the problem of new cats settling on the farm and sometimes – if noticed too late – causing offspring. Of course, we are happy to help in such cases. All three cats were caught with the help of the farmer and examined, treated, neutered, vaccinated and marked at our partner practice TiM. They were all allowed back on the farm, where they will be fed in future.
We had one success in Langenbruck. We have often travelled to the Waldenburg district in the canton of Basel Land and neutered many farms. However, one farmer, who had already been reported to us several times because of sick cats, simply didn’t want to neuter. Eveline left her number after the last conversation in the hope that he might change his mind at some point.
And finally the time had come. The farmer asked us to neuter his cat population after all. It seemed as if the cats had been waiting to finally get out of this cycle of uncontrolled reproduction. Within half an hour, Eveline had caught all the cats. A record!
All the pups were examined, neutered, treated for internal and external parasites, vaccinated and marked. Finally, they were sent back to the farm, where they will lead a much less stressful life from now on. Mission completed – one more farm where suffering has come to an end.
Eleven cats had to disappear from an allotment garden in the canton of Solothurn. Although the animals were fed regularly, no one was prepared to do more for the cats. Nor did they want to contribute financially to the costs of neutering and rehoming. Active help? Far from it!
Nevertheless, we also took on this case and were able to neuter a total of 13 cats and successfully relocate 11 of them.
A somewhat complicated case led us to Buttisholz in the canton of Lucerne in January. There were unneutered cats on a farm that were reproducing uncontrollably and neighbours had already adopted some, but no longer wanted to watch offspring being born that no one felt responsible for. Accordingly, the blessing in the neighbourhood also seemed to hang askew. According to the reporter, various organisations were asked for help in vain. In the end, an organisation referred them to us and we trapped the cats. All of them were neutered, vaccinated, treated for internal and external parasites and spayed/neutered. They were able to return to their territory.
A private individual reported a mother cat with three kittens. The family had taken up residence on the grounds of his holiday home and were generally welcome, but they all needed to be neutered. We collected all the kittens and had them examined, treated, neutered, vaccinated and marked at our partner, the small animal clinic in Wetzikon. Back at the hunting ground, the family was waiting at a regularly filled feeding station.
We are very often deployed in the Sursee region. This case also took us to Grosswangen, where a farmer couple had asked us to help neuter all their cats. Fortunately, all the cats were well-fed, healthy and tame. So things progressed quickly and all 10 cats were able to return to the farm after completing our neutering programme.
The daughter-in-law called us to help so that peace would return to the farm and no more kittens would be born. It is often the daughters-in-law who realise that animal-friendly and sustainable population management can only be achieved by neutering all the cats.
We subsequently trapped all the cats on the farm. The farmer’s wife helped with commitment, only fed them in the trap, set traps independently at the right time and provided support wherever she could. All 11 cats (8 females and 3 males) were examined, neutered, vaccinated, treated against internal and external parasites and marked. The 8 females alone would have given birth to around 24 kittens in the spring. Neutering is essential and the only way to achieve sustainable and animal-friendly population control.
On the day of the operation at Covetrus CH in Lyssach on Saturday, 10 February 2024, 101 cats underwent the NetAP neutering programme. 62 females and 39 males, including 4 cryprorchids, were on the operating tables.
We had a few challenges to contend with: sickness absences, confiscated cats that had to be given a special programme, cats that were not allowed back, some special medical challenges, a runaway (which we were fortunately able to catch again) and so on and so forth… After a somewhat rocky start to the day, everything soon settled down and finally, at 4.00 pm, the big cat Richard Löwenherz (pictured) was neutered, the last of the day’s bunnies. Another two hours passed before all the cats were awake again and in the mood for a bite to eat, but during this time the first clean-up work could begin.
25 cats were either sent to the animal shelter, released into the wild or placed in foster homes. We organised in-patient places for three cats because we want to keep an eye on them for a few more days. All the others will be released into their territories later today, where they will be able to lead a much less stressful life from now on.
62 queens would have cared for around 240 kittens in spring. Many of them would probably not have survived. 39 male cats would have gone on a mating season in spring. Many of them would have had accidents during this time because they are hormone-driven and headless at this time.
Alleviating existing suffering, preventing new misery – that is our mission and on this successful neutering weekend, many great people once again contributed to it.
A farmer asked for help catching his cats. He had previously asked several organisations for help, but no one seemed to have the capacity. He was prepared – which is rather unusual – to take the cats to his vet and cover all the costs himself. All eleven cats were caught in record time and the farmer was very happy with the quick and uncomplicated help.
A farm with a dozen unneutered cats was finally ready to have the cats caught and neutered. They only wanted the young, tame cats back. We had to relocate the wild ones. We had to make it clear to the owners that we didn’t have places à Discrétion for feral cats. Fortunately, the Strubeli animal shelter was prepared to give 6 of the younger cats a try and so we were able to hand them over to the shelter. The other six went back to the farm after completing the NetAP neutering programme.
We also took over this case from a third-party organisation that does not trap cats itself. Four unneutered cats were to be trapped on a farm. As they were tame, we were able to pack them up quickly. They were examined, treated, neutered and vaccinated. All four were allowed back into their territory.
A sad case led us to Mosnang in the canton of St. Gallen. A local resident had fed six feral cats and moved away. She was unable to take the cats with her and the farmer on whose land she lived held out the prospect of killing the cats if they were still there after her move. As is very often the case in such cases, the lady in question came to us with her problem at very short notice and did little to help solve it herself.
Two of the six cats were no longer there. We had set up the surveillance cameras for weeks without a single sighting. We were able to catch four cats. They were examined, treated, tested, vaccinated and neutered. The tortoiseshell had very bad teeth and had to undergo dental rehabilitation.
None of the animal shelters we contacted wanted to take in the cats. Fortunately, we found a wonderful place for the four of them at a riding centre in Bern. Preliminary inspection, cattery set-up, transport halfway across Switzerland. All of this came on top of everything else. An intensive case and an expensive one at that, because the lady had no money for the animals. There are hardly any animal welfare organisations that take on such cases. And the actual perpetrators are protected by the federal government.
A farm had contacted a third-party organisation and asked for help to neuter the cats on the farm. The case ended up with us, as very few organisations are actively working on the front line and have the equipment and know-how to catch feral cats. The cats were caught, examined, treated, vaccinated, neutered and marked at the veterinary clinic in Schaffhausen. The farmer did not want one cat back because it was ‘ugly’. The cat had numerous wounds on its body. We were told to put her down, which of course we didn’t do. Ulyssa, as we christened the feral cat, was subsequently given veterinary care and we finally found a place for her where she could enjoy her life in the greatest possible freedom, sheltered and under supervision.
This case also came to us via a third party. There was uncontrolled breeding on this farm for many years. We don’t know what happened to the kittens. We caught 32 cats, 22 of which were females. A few cats were not allowed back because the colour did not match (!). The rest were welcome back, but some needed far more than just the neutering programme. Three cats had a hernia, one cat had a swollen leg, several had a cold and some also needed their teeth done. We were glad that we were able to close the case before there were any offspring. 22 queens would have given birth to around 60 kittens in the spring.
New cats turned up on a farm in Hohenrain that had already been neutered. All un-neutered, three of them female. To prevent many kittens being born again in the spring, we immediately caught them all and had them examined, treated, vaccinated, neutered and marked at the Mittelland veterinary clinic. All the cats were allowed to return to the farm, where a manned feeding station contributes to their well-being.
For far too long, the word neutering was a foreign concept on the farm in Ohmstal in the canton of Lucerne. At least the cats were lucky enough to be allowed indoors and fed regularly. But now the cats were no longer wanted. Fortunately, some of the cats had become a little more trusting after being fed, so we were able to relocate 10 of the 15 cats after neutering with the help of animal shelters. One cat’s eye had to be removed because he had injured it at some point, but no one had ever reacted. If the cat had been taken to the vet in time, his eye could have been saved. 5 cats went back to the cattery. They were too wild to be rehomed.
At the end of 2023, we were able to reopen a case that we had to abandon the year before because a third-party organisation intervened. Now the farmer was finally ready to have all the cats trapped, but the third-party organisation didn’t want to help. So he approached us again.
We had already neutered some of them in 2022. Now the remaining eleven cats were also trapped, which we had examined, treated, vaccinated, marked and neutered at various practices. One cat needed extensive dental work, which she received at the Tierklinik Mittelland. A second had an old eye injury, but unfortunately there was nothing that could be done. Finally, there was a seriously ill cat who was in such a bad condition that he could no longer be helped. At least we were able to prevent him from dying in agony under a bush somewhere in the next few days. All the other cats were able to return to their territory, where they are regularly fed.
The cat lived in a residential neighbourhood in the middle of the city of Basel, apparently as an unneutered, homeless stray. He slept somewhere outside in all weathers, was given food here and there, was always cautious and disappeared if you got too close to him. We were asked to catch him and take him to the vet, where he was examined, treated, tested, vaccinated and neutered. At the vets, Bushido probably recognised his chance and showed his best side. The beautiful tomcat was friendly and human orientated, so we decided to entrust him to the shelter so that a home could be found for him.
Countless stray cats live in the centre of Basel. Many of them have now been neutered, not because the state fulfilled its responsibility but because we caught them so that they could go through our neutering programme. We bear the costs, the city or the canton do not contribute a cent. A possible neutering obligation is still being discussed in the canton of Basel Stadt and we are curious to see how things will progress. It would be nice if politicians would take a closer look at the plight of cats.
A farmer had already neutered all of her own cats, but as her neighbour is intransigent and simply won’t neuter them, new cats are constantly coming to her and giving birth. So we had to catch cats from her again, six animals in total. One female cat and her kittens were allowed to move into the shelter. After successful rearing and placement of the kittens, the mum will return to the farm neutered.
