About Street Cats Rescue
What We Do
Trapping & Neutering
- The main focus of our work
- Trapping, neutering and releasing stray cats and kittens (TNR).
- Lending traps and training on how to use them – subject to availability.
- Providing access to reduced vet services at AgroConil in El Colorado.
Cat Colonies
- Looking after cat colonies: providing food, water and medical treatment.
- Organising and paying for the treatment of injured street cats.
- Helping those who look after cat colonies with reduced vet bills, loaned traps and advice.
Adoptions
- Supporting local foster homes who take in abandoned kittens (providing equipment, food and access to medical care)
- Re-homing abandoned kittens and cats if possible – locally or internationally.
- Cooperating with local and Northern European animal protection services for international adoptions.
Our Mission
- Improving the life of the stray kittens and cats population in Conil and surrounding area.
- Re-homing abandoned kittens to safe and appropriate homes.
- Retaining our ‘no-kill’ policy unless under the advice of vets.
- Building a network of Northern European contacts for the adoption of cats & kittens.
- Encouraging volunteers from the wider area.
- Educating the community about animal welfare and the benefits of neutering.
In Conil and Surrounding Areas
Our ‘Foster for Adoption’ Program
Where do the kittens come from?
Every year Street Cats Rescue is contacted by locals and tourists in Conil alike, who have found an abandoned kitten on the street or have been feeding a mother cat with their litter of kittens, and for various reasons can no longer look after them. Each story is different and often heart breaking, with 5 day old kittens rescued from rubbish bins.
In the past we used to take these little furries into our care in our shelter Casa Tom, feed them, look after them and make sure they can grow up into healthy cats. Unfortunately in recent years this has become too demanding and has taken its toll on our small and limited number of volunteers. For this reason our new approach since 2021 is to encourage and support locals to become foster homes for these little creatures.
Being a Foster Home
If you decide to become a foster home, we will provide all that is needed to look after our kittens, like litter trays, beds, blankets and toys. Furthermore we will cover all expenses for food, litter and – if necessary – medical care. The appointments for the necessary vaccinations and neutering are made in coordination with you.
If you’re interested in either short or even long term foster care for one or several of our kittens, please contact us.
How long would I need to be a Foster Home?
How long the kittens will stay in a foster home depends on various factors, many of which are out of our control. If everything goes well, i.e. a kitten does not get sick or has any infections they should be ready for adoption as of the age of 4-5 months. By that time they will have had their vaccinations, be tested for FIV & FeLV, chipped and castrated.
However, if they can move out of the foster home at that moment in time also depends on if/when:
- we have found a new home or – in some cases a foster home in Germany.
- there is a Flugpate or a transport that can take the kitten to their new home (for international adoptions).
Are the kittens vaccinated and neutered?
All our kittens and cats are neutered, have two Trivalente vaccinations against the most common diseases [Feline panleukopenia (FPV or FPLV), Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FHV, aka herpes virus), Feline calicivirus (FCV)], as well as the obligatory rabies vaccinations.
Furthermore they are tested for Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), and the test results are recorded in the passport.
How much does it cost to prepare a kitten for adoption?
Getting a kitten ready for adoption costs a minimum of 130€ for a male and 150€ for a female cat. This amount covers the vaccinations mentioned above plus the castration. What is not included is the food, litter and additional medical bills which almost always exist, as many kittens are found with some health problems like conjunctivitis, cold or parasites.
We cooperate with AgroConil, a veterinary clinic in El Colorado, who offer us a discounted rate for all medical treatments and care.
Do I need to pay anything if I adopt a kitten?
To cover some of our expenses, we ask for a contribution for each adopted kitten or cat.
For local adoptions this contribution is 50€ – 100€ depending on financial ability. We can also offer payment in installments. For international adoptions the amount is 180€ which takes into account the additional transport costs.
Do I need to sign a contract when I adopt a kitten?
To make sure our kittens will have a good home we also do a home check before we agree to the adoptions. Furthermore we have a contract that we sign with the new owner to ensure they are aware how to appropriately care for a kitten.
For adoptions to Germany please check out Street Cats – Adoptions
Some of our Kittens
… who found a loving furever home…
BLINKY (f) | tabby | 08/04/19
Mango (f) | white ginger | 17/07/19
If you are interested in adopting a kitten, please send us an email and tell us what you are looking for (e.g. age, sex, colour) and what the new home for the kitten would look like (other cats in the house, access to outdoors, etc.).
Getting Involved
Volunteer
Our work depends on the generous support of Volunteers
For our various services and jobs Street Cats Rescue offers, we are always in need of volunteers – be it locally in the Conil/Chiclana area or internationally for help with our adoption program. The number of requests for help are often overwhelming, and we can always need an extra pair of hand.
These are just some areas where volunteers play a vital role:
Cat Colony Helpers
Street Cats Rescue is looking after three cat colonies: one at the Paseo Maritimo in Conil, one in the Pinares de Roche and one at teh Club Paraíso in El Colorado. Feeding the cats and kittens at these two colonies every day is quite a task.
Even helping just once a week with one of our colonies would make a huge difference.
All you need to do is refill the feeders and water bowls, and just check that everything is ok. It only takes a little while.
Think you’re up for it?
Being a Foster Home
We always need medium to long term foster homes as part of our ‘Foster for Adoption‘ Program.
Trapping
Often we are contacted by locals or tourists who know about or are feeding some cats in their neighbourhood and are concerned about the number of kittens and new cats appearing each year.
Many of these little felines are already too used to living on the street and cannot be homed. Nevertheless, we can help these little fellows having a better life by trapping and neutering them.
Neutering not only keeps the numbers of cats in a colony down giving them better chances to find food and shelter. It also keeps them healthier and prevents fighting.
As we are often too busy just looking after the kittens in our care, we would be very grateful for any help with trapping cats and kittens and taking them to the vet for neutering.
Street Cats Rescue provides the necessary training, traps, food and arranges the appointments at the vet.
Vet Visits
With neutering, vaccination and the medical care for our cats and kittens being a major part of what we do, we have to visit the vet a lot. Some visits are fairly straight forward and quick, for example the vaccinations and final check ups before a journey.
If you have a car, a drivers licence and some spare time, we’d love a hand in picking up and dropping off kittens and cats who need to go to the vet.
Street Cats Rescue colaborates with AgroConil in El Colorado. Almost all of our vet appointments are at that clinic.
We can arrange appointments that suit your schedule and there is no ongoing commitment. Even the occasional visit or pick up after surgery is helping us out a lot.
Fundraising
Street Cats Rescue relies on donations and the wonderful generosity of other cat lovers to keep going.
If you have any experience in fundraising or can simply provide an extra set of hands in this area we’d be hugely appreciative – even being a great baker and making some cakes for our regular markets would help us a lot.
Administration
Like any organisation, we too have to keep an eye on our books. If you can help us out with anything administration-related, we’d love your expertise.
No time to volunteer?
Other Ways to Help
Sponsor a cat
Not all of our cats and kittens are tame or already adore human attention. Some are much shier, happier keeping to themselves. This of course means they can’t be adopted (yet), but still need looking after.
You can help by sponsoring one or more of these fantastic felines for just 4€ a month!
The monthly payment will go towards paying for food, medication and anything else needed to keep them happy and healthy.
Donate
Like any other NGO, our work depends to a large degree on the generosity of people like you.
Be it by one-off donations or regular (e.g. monthly) donations, every little contribution is greatly appreciated and goes a long way in helping to care for our little feline friends.
Donations can be made via Paypal using your credit card or bank account or directly via transfer into our bank account (Asoc. Street Cats Rescue, Banka March, IBAN: ES97 0061 0253 1800 4274 0210).
During the Paypal check out process you can enter the amount you would like to give and choose to make your donation a recurring donation or a one-off payment.
Be a ‘Flugpate’
For our international adoptions, we are always looking for ‘Flugpaten’. This is a German term and describes a person who takes a pet on their flight – either in the cabin or in the hold (i.e. an animal travel companion).
If you are living or holidaying in Conil or surroundings and have a flight booked to Germany, the Netherlands or another Northern European country, you can help us by taking one of our adopted kittens or adult cats with you on your trip.
Street Cats Rescue will make the booking for the cat and pay for the additional transport costs. The only thing you need to do is check in with the cat.
When you arrive at your home airport the new owner, a representative of another NGO or a foster carer will be waiting for you and take the cat off you.
Our Fundraising Events
Regular Events
MARKETS
usually every 1st Saturday of the month
10:00 – 13:00 | outside AgroConil in El Colorado
Next Market, Saturday:
03/07/2021
QUIZ NIGHT
usually every 1st Thursday of the month
20:00-23:00 | Bubble Burguer, San Andres | 5€
Next Quiz Night, Thursday:
08/07/2021
