Gyeonggi-do Invests 5.2 Billion KRW This Year for Stray Cat Neutering Surgeries and Feeding Station Installations

Gyeonggi Province will invest a total of 5.2 billion KRW, including 600 million KRW from the provincial budget this year, to perform neutering surgeries on 26,100 stray cats and install 53 feeding stations for stray cats.

Gyeonggi Province is promoting an annual project for neutering stray cats and establishing feeding stations to create an environment where stray cats and people coexist. Over the past five years, 127,958 surgeries have been completed and 313 feeding stations have been installed.

Cat neutering is carried out using the TNR method, which stands for Trap-Neuter-Return, involving capture (Trap), neutering surgery linked with animal hospitals (Neuter), and release (Return).

Cat Feeding Station

Depending on the conditions of each city or county, plans are established and the process can be carried out flexibly in stages or integrally by animal hospitals, animal protection centers, private organizations, veterinary associations or their branches through direct execution, mixed implementation, or consignment.

Feeding stations are operated to maintain hygiene at stray cat feeding spots and to efficiently carry out the neutering project. When an applicant requests the installation of a feeding station, it is installed in a location that avoids places frequently visited by people, in coordination with the responsible personnel of the relevant city or county.

The applicant becomes the dedicated manager of the feeding station, maintaining the environment around the feeding area and also performing tasks such as monitoring the number of stray cats around the feeding station to effectively support the neutering project.

Kim Jong-hoon, Director of the Livestock Animal Welfare Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Since cats are territorial animals with a strong attachment to their habitats, it is important to manage their population and suppress increases in advance." He added, "Through the stray cat neutering project and support for feeding station installation, we hope this will be the beginning of a harmonious coexistence between residents and stray cats beyond merely protecting the cats."

Meanwhile, in relation to this project, Gyeonggi Province distributed guidelines for caring for stray cats and guidelines for stray cat neutering surgeries in January of this year.