Reproductive Control of Registered Feline Colonies in Arucas, Gran Canaria: Animal Welfare Considerations

Abstract

The situation of stray cats in Gran Canaria has been a focus of attention for a long time. The lack of data when it comes to managing cat colonies can cause the problem to be minimized or increased. The evaluation of the feline census in the Canary Islands has not been quantified in practically any case, nor the damage they cause, nor the relevance that these have for the conservation of the species. For the first time in recent years, economic factors have become the first reason for abandonment, and it is evidence that the economy serves to sustain collective health and that the concept of One Health is essential since human health and animal health are interdependent and are linked to the health of the ecosystems in which they exist. The aim of this study was to have a brief vision about the result of the reproductive control of registered feline colonies in Arucas and its relationship to the animal welfare on Gran Canaria and possible problems associated to this theme. The study was carried out in Arucas, a village located in the north part on Gran Canaria, where 606 records of sterilizations of registered feline colonies were performed during 2020. 30 caretakers from these cat colonies participated in an online survey with a high level of commitment from their sides and with important results. Data was collected from 51 autopsy records from cats performed by the Department of Toxicology of the University of las Palmas de Gran Canaria between 2012 and 2020, with insecticides and rodenticides being the most frequently toxins recorded. The gathering of the data was obtained without any important incident and revealed that the situation of the cats in the area was complicated due to several topics such as risk of poisoning, car accidents and complaints from neighbours. It also indicated an improvement after sterilizations in terms of animal welfare, weight gain, less diseases, less activity and better coexistence within the colonies, but it also showed a demand on the part of the caretakers towards the city council. Further studies are required in order to extrapolate data to a broader extent on the rest of the island(s)