The Office of the Commissioner for Animal Welfare has said that said that cat feeders, by law, cannot be stopped from feeding at their cat colonies, it is not illegal, but littering is.

Writing on Facebook, the Office said that feeding stray cats in public areas is not illegal, however it is illegal to litter public areas.

The Office explained that feeders are legally obliged to remove any left-over food (especially wet, canned and packaged food) and to empty containers after the cats have eaten.

“Those people that argue that stray cats should not be fed are going against The Animal Welfare Act,” the Office said.

Containers with clean and fresh water should not be considered as litter, but need to be positioned in discreet places, it said.

The Office went on to say that “ideally, the Local Councils should try to reach a compromise with cat feeders to find a place where strays can be fed.”

“The identified area must always meet the natural and ‘territorial’ needs of the cats, so that they don’t have to travel too far to eat and where they are never placed in any danger by being too close to the road,” the Office said.

The State, it said, also has the duty to promote the protection of animals, which must be protected by the intervention of the State, with its legislative, judicial and administrative organs.

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