April 9, 2022 - Public cat feeding areas in Zagreb will be defined and managed by the city in an effort to solve the stray cat issue in the capital and protect the animals.

On March 31, the City of Zagreb announced a public call for applications to install cat feeders in public areas managed by the City of Zagreb, which was published on the city's official website.

It is part of an attempt to solve the problem of feeding cats in the city of Zagreb, while implementing such projects seek to protect animals adequately.

The city will announce a public invitation to associations. After the associations are selected, the feeding area locations will be selected and proposed to the Mayor, reads the public invitation.

To find out more about the public feeding areas, Zagreb.Info turned to Damir Skok, director of the Zoo and Dumovec.

"The shelter, in cooperation with the municipal police, will arrange for the sterilization of cats that live on feeding grounds and perform the necessary interventions to control the reproduction of cats.

Cat feeders are a project that tries to provide a dignified life for cats on the streets of Zagreb while limiting their population. Also, wild cats do one important task, and that is to control the population of rodents and rats.

The shelter also provides all the necessary veterinary care to stray cats that are sick, injured, or have their lives endangered. So, whenever a cat from the feeding ground needs treatment, our veterinarians can help it," says Damir Skok.

The first public and legal cat feeder was organized on Radićeva Street, called Miceki, which was created by a group of volunteers, the last of whom was Baka Ana. Unfortunately, like her fellow volunteers who took care of the cats for thirty years, Baka Ana became disabled, so a group of volunteers helped her take care of the cats.

The initiative to take care of cats had grown, and with the support of the Prava šapa association, they sent a request to the city to become a legal public feeding ground. Thus, Miceki received houses, drinking fountains, and even a mural by the famous graffiti artist Slaven Lunar Kosanović.

The cat feeding locations in Zagreb will depend on the local volunteers who will respond to the call published on the City of Zagreb website. 

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October 9, 2021 - The Zagreb cat shelter project is among the necessary strategic documents of the City and is included in the list of initial projects from 2021 - 2027.

The Mayor of Zagreb, Tomislav Tomašević, announced the construction of a shelter for cats during a tour of the Zagreb Shelter for neglected animals. There, the City of Zagreb, in cooperation with the Zagreb Zoo and the Animal Friends Association, organized the 19th International Animal Protection Day celebration,  reports Jutarnji List.

"We plan to increase the capacity for accommodating cats in Dumovec. In order to prevent dogs from leaving, we continue to control microchipping, "said Tomasevic.

The cat shelter project is among the necessary strategic documents of the City of Zagreb and is included in the list of initial projects for the financial perspective from 2021 - 2027.

With this project, the City of Zagreb would get an appropriate shelter for the accommodation of injured and sick and other neglected cats.

"At the Zagreb Shelter for neglected animals, we currently have a hundred animals - 70 dogs and 30 cats. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, we have received a smaller number of dogs in the Shelter, but we still find abandoned pets on the streets of Zagreb. Most of them do not have a microchip," said Damir Skok, director of the Zagreb Zoo, which includes the Shelter in Dumovec.

The employees of the Shelter are happy that some participants left with a new pet during the International Animal Protection Day celebration. The mayor also invited the people of Zagreb to adopt dogs and cats.

"Buying dogs is not necessary. There are many dogs that need to be adopted. Trust me, every dog you adopt will be loyal to you for the rest of your life. That dog becomes a member of the family," said Tomasevic.

During the International Animal Protection Day celebration, citizens were able to visit the Shelter, see how work is done on the education and socialization of dogs, and meet associations that work with animal protection. An educational and entertaining program was also prepared for children. Animal Friends organized a Vega picnic. Citizens were also encouraged to adopt by dm, who gives a gift voucher worth 50 kuna to anyone who adopts a dog or cat by the end of the year to buy food and other products from the pet range.

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