With heart for mercy cats: Local initiative fights against animal suffering

With heart for mercy cats: Local initiative fights against animal suffering

In the Ried district, four committed women are tirelessly committed to saving cats in need. The pensioners Margarete Kollnberger, her daughter Sabine, Beatrix Wöhrer and Maria Schönauer founded the "Grace Cats" Initiative to offer old and often sick cats, who can often no longer be conveyed, a loving home.

"Originally we only took care of elderly cats," reports Beatrix Wöhrer, one of the founders. But soon they realized that the need goes far beyond the care of old animals. One of the biggest challenges is the uninhibited increase in cats, which in many cases leads to the development of strays. Wöhrer explains: "A cat can get offspring up to three times a year, which often means that the kittens are neglected or even disposed of. This is a dramatic situation."

castration as a key to solution

In view of this precarious situation, the initiative is trying to point out the importance of the castration offers of animal welfare organizations. "If we can encourage more cat owners to neuter their animals, we can prevent a lot of animal suffering. That is important to us," says Wöhrer. The associated costs for the supply of the old cats are high for the pensioners, and the current price increase brings additional financial burdens. The initiative is financed from its own resources, which is often a challenge.

"The prices for castrations have also been raised - a burden that is hardly portable without support," she adds. In this context, the senior citizens expressly thank Franziska Greil from the Tatzenfreunde Innviertel for the valuable cooperation.

One way to support the valuable work of the "mercy cats" is to take feed donations. These can be handed in at various shops such as Spar in St. Martin and Pramet and in the Unimarkt in Altheim. If you also want to make a one -time donation, you can do this via the donation account of the Upper Bank Ried under the intended use of "mercy cats". "We are grateful for every small amount," emphasizes Wöhrer.