Why it is so important to have cats neuteredMunicipalities with mandatory neutering for cats
Neutering is already compulsory in over 1,000 municipalities and cities in Germany. This means that cats with uncontrolled outdoor access must be neutered. As a rule, the neutering obligation is issued together with an identification and registration obligation - in this case, the cats must also be identified and registered in a pet register such as FINDEFIX . We look at the current legal situation and provide an overview of the municipalities in which neutering is already mandatory.
Why is compulsory neutering important?
The introduction of compulsory neutering for free-roaming cats is important in order to reduce the number of feral cats in Germany1 Unneuteredfree-roaming cats can reproduce uncontrollably and thus ensure that the feral cat population continues to increase. Ultimately, all feral cats can be traced back to cats from private households that have not been neutered. Owners of free-roaming cats can therefore actively help to reduce the number of feral cats in the long term by neutering their pets.
The problem: one in ten cat owners say that their pet has not been neutered. Some of them even reject neutering in principle.2 This is why the introduction of compulsory neutering is so important. If the number of feral cats decreases, this also relieves the burden on animal welfare organizations and animal shelters. They organize neutering campaigns, care for animals at feeding stations and look after injured or sick cats. This repeatedly pushes animal welfare organizations to their limits - both financially and in terms of personnel.
Neutering is routine
For veterinarians, neutering is a routine procedure that is performed under anesthesia and usually proceeds without complications. The ovaries are removed from a female cat and the testicles from a male cat. Neutering is recommended from the age of four to six months. In addition to infertility, neutering has other advantages: By eliminating the sex hormones, the behavior of the animals changes. There are fewer fights with conspecifics and therefore fewer injuries and disease transmissions. As they are no longer looking for sexual partners, the risk of road traffic accidents is also reduced. Female cats no longer go into permanent heat.
Current legal situation regarding mandatory neutering
There are currently two ways to implement ordinances on mandatory neutering - either via municipal regulatory law or via the Animal Welfare Act. Since 2013, the federal states have been able to issue a state-wide ordinance themselves under Section 13b of the Animal Welfare Act or leave this to the districts or municipalities via a competence ordinance.
The following federal states have left the regulation of mandatory neutering to the districts or municipalities by means of a competence ordinance: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. In Berlin, a cat protection ordinance based on Section 13b of the Animal Welfare Act has been in force for the entire city area since 2022.
For some places, there are neutering, identification and registration obligations both via municipal regulatory law and via Section 13b of the Animal Welfare Act, if the respective district has issued a corresponding ordinance.
Municipalities & locations with mandatory neutering * Ordinance issued on the basis of Section 13b of the Animal Welfare Act
- Aidlingen*
- Berglen*
- Blumberg*
- Bondorf*
- Bollschweil*
- Bräunlingen*
- Breisach*
- Breitnau*
- Brigachtal* (from October 2024)
- Buggingen*
- Dauchingen*
- Deckenpfronn*
- Deggingen*
- Ditzingen*
- Eberbach*
- Ehrenkirchen* (OT Norsingen)
- Eichstetten*
- Eisenbach*
- Eislingen/Fils*
- Eschbach*
- Eschenbach*
- Forchheim*(from September 2024)
- Friedenweiler* (from September 2024)
- Geislingen*
- Giengen* (ab November 2024)
- Grafenhausen*
- Hattenhofen*
- Heimsheim*
- Heitersheim*
- Horb* (mandatory identification and registration; mandatory neutering only applies to free-roaming cats)
- Hornberg*
- Isny*
- Karlsruhe*
- Kirchzarten*
- Königsfeld*
- Lahr*
- Leimen*
- Lenzkirch*
- Leonberg*
- Löffingen*
- Mannheim*(compulsory identification and registration, compulsory castration from October 2024)
- March*
- Möckmühl*
- Mönsheim*
- Müllheim*
- Münstertal*
- Neuenburg on the Rhine*
- Nufringen*
- Ostrach*
- Renningen*
- Reute* (from July 2024)
- Rutesheim*
- Sasbach am Kaiserstuhl*
- Schlierbach*
- Schonach*(from September 2024)
- Schönwald*
- Schramberg*
- Spaichingen* (ab August 2024)
- Staufen im Breisgau*
- St. Blasien*
- St. Georgen*
- Titisee-Neustadt*
- Triberg* (from July 2024)
- Uhingen*
- Unterkirnach*
- Vörstetten*
- Vogtsburg*
- Waldenbuch*
- Weil der Stadt*
- Weinheim*
- Weissach*
- Wiernsheim*
- Winnenden*
- Wurmberg*
- Aidhausen* (only mandatory labeling and registration; from September 2024)
- Aschaffenburg*
- Bundorf (OT Stöckach, Bundorf, Neuses)* (only compulsory identification and registration; from September 2024)
- Burgpreppach* (only mandatory identification and registration; from September 2024)
- Dachau* (specific areas in the district still to be determined)
- Denklingen*
- Ebelsbach (OT Schönbach)* (only mandatory identification and registration; from September 2024)
- Egling an der Paar*
- Haßfurt* (only compulsory identification and registration; from September 2024)
- Hofheim (OT Eichelsdorf)* (only compulsory identification and registration; from September 2024)
- Kaisheim* (Sulzdorf area) (only compulsory identification and registration)
- Knetzgau* (only compulsory identification and registration; from September 2024)
- Laufen*
- Oberaurach* (only mandatory identification and registration; from September 2024)
- Penzing*
- Pfaffenhofen* (specific areas in the district are still being determined)
- Riedbach* (only mandatory identification andregistration; from September 2024)
- Tapfheim* (local areas of Rettingen with Birkschwaige, Dreiwinkelschwaige, Obere and Untere Hoserschwaige, Rothahnenschwaige, Hubelschwaige, Hundeschwaige) (only compulsory identification and registration)
- Theres* (only compulsory identification and registration; from September 2024)
- Utting am Ammersee*
- Weil*
- Wonfurt (OT Dampfach, Steinsfeld, Wonfurt)* (only mandatory identification and registration; from September 2024)
- Berlin*
- Angermünde
- Bad Belzig
- Frankfurt (Oder)
- Fürstenberg
- Fürstenwalde
- Heidesee
- Jüterbog
- Königs-Wusterhausen
- Kyritz
- Luckenwalde
- Neuruppin
- Niedergörsdorf
- Premnitz
- Schulzendorf
- Velten
Wusterhausen/Dosse
- Bremen
- Bremerhaven
- Alheim*
- Allendorf*
- Alsfeld*
- Amoeneburg*
- Bad Arolsen*
- Bad Endbach
- Bad König*
- Bad Orb*
- Bad Wildungen*
- Biblis*
- Borken*
- Brensbach*
- Breuna*
- Brombachtal*
- Bruchköbel*
- Büdingen*
- Buseck*
- Büttelborn
- Cölbe*
- Darmstadt*
- Dieburg*
- Ebsdorfergrund*
- Edermünde*
- Erbach*
- Erlensee*
- Felsberg*
- Frankenberg*
- Freigericht*
- Fuldabrück*
- Gedern*
- Gelnhausen*
- Gernsheim*
- Großalmerode*
- Hanau*
- Haunetal
- Hainburg*
- Hessisch-Lichtenau
- Heuchelheim*
- Hirzenhain *
- Hochheim am Main*
- Hofheim*
- Homberg (Efze)*
- Homberg (Ohm)*
- Jesberg*
- Karben*
- Kassel
- Kaufungen*
- Kirchhain*
- Kirchheim
- Kirtorf*
- Körle*
- Lahntal*
- Lampertheim*
- Langen*
- Liebenau*
- Lohfelden
- Lorsch
- Mainhausen*
- Malsfeld*
- Melsungen*
- Michelstadt*
- Modautal*
- Mörfelden-Walldorf*
- Morschen*
- Münchhausen*
- Neu-Eichenberg*
- Neuental*
- Neukirchen*
- Neustadt*
- Nidderau*
- Niedenstein*
- Oberzent*
- Pfungstadt*
- Raunheim*
- Reichelsheim*
- Rosenthal*
- Roßdorf*
- Rotenburg a. d. Fulda*
- Rüsselsheim*
- Schwalmstadt*
- Seligenstadt*
- Sontra*
- Spangenberg*
- Stadtallendorf*
- Viernheim*
- Wächtersbach*
- Weiterstadt*
- Wiesbaden*
- Witzenhausen*
- Wolfhagen*
- Admannshagen-Bargeshagen*
- Amt Anklam-Land* (18 municipalities)
- Amt Malchow (8 municipalities)*
- Amt Röbel-Müritz (19 municipalities)*
- Bartenshagen-Parkentin*
- Benitz*
- Börgerende-Rethwisch*
- Bröbberow*
- Kassow*
- Ostseebad Nienhagen*
- Reddelich*
- Retschow*
- Rostock*
- Rukieten*
- Schwaan*
- Steffenshagen*
- Vorbeck*
- Waren (Müritz)*
- Wiendorf*
- Wittenbeck*
- Zehna*
- Aerzen
- Amelinghausen (joint municipality with 5 municipalities)
- Apen
- Apensen (joint municipality with 3 municipalities)
- Artland (joint municipality with 4 municipalities)
- Aue (joint municipality with 4 municipalities)
- Aurich
- Bad Bentheim
- Bad Essen
- Bad Gandersheim
- Bad Harzburg
- Bad Iburg*
- Bad Münder am Deister
- Bad Laer
- Bad Pyrmont
- Bad Rothenfelde
- Bad Sachsa*
- Bad Zwischenahn
- Barsinghausen
- Belm*
- Berne
- Bersenbrück (joint municipality with 7 municipalities)
- Bevensen-Ebstorf (joint municipality with 13 municipalities)
- Bevern (joint municipality with 4 municipalities)
- Bleckede
- Bockenem
- Bockhorn
- Bodenwerder-Polle (joint municipality with 11 municipalities)
- Bohmte
- Bovenden*
- Brake
- Bramsche
- Braunlage*
- Brunswick
- Bückeburg
- Burgdorf*
- Burgwedel*
- Butjadingen
- Buxtehude*
- Celle
- Clausthal-Zellerfeld
- Cloppenburg (district with 13 municipalities)
- Coppenbrügge
- Cuxhaven*
- Dahlenburg (joint municipality with 5 municipalities)
- Delmenhorst
- Diepholz (district with 46 municipalities)
- Dissen am Teutoburger Wald*
- Dornum
- Dörverden
- Drochtersen*
- Duderstadt* (town)
- Edemissen
- Edewecht
- Eilsen (joint municipality with 5 municipalities)
- Elbmarsch (joint municipality with 3 municipalities)
- Elbtalaue (joint municipality with 10 municipalities)
- Elsfleth
- Emden
- Eschershausen-Stadtoldendorf (joint municipality with 11 municipalities)
- Esens (joint municipality with 7 municipalities)
- Fintel (joint municipality with 5 municipalities)
- Fredenbeck*
- Friedeburg
- Friedland*
- Fürstenau (joint municipality with 3 municipalities)
- Garbsen*
- Gartow (joint municipality with 5 municipalities)
- Gehrden*
- Geestland
- Gifhorn*
- Göttingen
- Goslar
- Grasberg
- Hadeln* (joint municipality with 5 municipalities)
- Hage (joint municipality with 5 municipalities)
- Hagen am Teutoburger Wald*
- Hagen im Bremischen*
- Hambergen (joint municipality with 12 municipalities)
- Hanover*
- Hardegsen
- Hemmoor* (joint municipality with 3 municipalities)
- Hildesheim
- Hollenstedt
- Holzminden
- Ihlow*
- Isenbüttel (joint municipality with 4 municipalities)
- Jade
- Jever
- Jork
- Juist (island)
- Königslutter am Elm
- Langen (near Cuxhaven)
- Langeoog (island municipality)
- Leer (district with 20 municipalities)
- Teaching
- Lehrte*
- Lemwerder
- Lilienthal
- Lingen
- Loxstedt
- Lüchow (joint municipality with 12 municipalities)
- Meinersen (joint municipality with 4 municipalities)
- Melle
- Meppen
- Nenndorf (joint municipality with 4 municipalities)
- Nordenham
- Norden
- Nordhorn*
- Nordkehdingen (joint municipality with 5 municipalities)
- Oldenburg
- Oldendorf-Himmelpforten* (joint municipality with 10 municipalities)
- Osnabrück
- Osterholz-Scharmbeck
- Ostheide (joint municipality with 6 municipalities)
- Osterode
- Ottersberg
- Ovelgönne
- Papenteich* (joint municipality with 6 municipalities)
- Peine
- Radolfshausen*
- Rastede
- Rinteln
- Ritterhude
- Rodenberg (joint municipality with 6 municipalities)
- Rodewald*
- Ronnenberg*
- Rosdorf*
- Rotenburg (Wümme)*
- Salzhemmendorf
- Sande
- Sarstedt
- Sassenburg
- Schiffdorf
- Schortens
- Sehnde*
- Sögel (joint municipality with 8 municipalities)
- Söhlde
- Sottrum* (joint municipality with 7 municipalities)
- Springe*
- Stadthagen (town)
- Stadtland
- Südbrookmerland
- Thedinghausen
- Tostedt* (joint municipality with 9 municipalities)
- Uelzen
- Uetze*
- Uslar
- Varel
- Velpe (joint municipality with 3 districts)
- Verden
- Wangerooge (island)
- Weener
- Wennigsen
- Wesendorf* (joint municipality with 6 districts)
- Westerstede
- Wiefelstede
- Wildeshausen
- Wilhelmshaven
- Wittmund*
- Wolfsburg
- Worpswede
- Wunstorf*
- Zetel
- Zeven
- Aldenhoven
- Altena
- Arnsberg
- Bad Driburg
- Bad Oeynhausen
- Balve
- Barntrup
- Bergheim
- Beverungen
- Bielefeld*
- Horn Bad-Meinberg
- Bochum*
- Bonn
- Borgentreich
- Borgholzhausen
- Borken* (district with 17 towns and municipalities)
- Brakel
- Brilon
- Bünde
- Büren
- Coesfeld* (district with 11 municipalities)
- Datteln
- Detmold
- Dinslaken
- Dortmund
- Düren
- Düsseldorf*
- Dülmen
- Duisburg
- Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis* (with 9 towns)
- Ennigerloh
- Erwitte
- Eschweiler
- Essen*
- Erkrath
- Euskirchen* (district with 11 towns and municipalities)
- Extertal
- Finnentrop
- Fröndenberg/Ruhr
- Gelsenkirchen*
- Geseke
- Gladbeck
- Gütersloh
- Hall
- Hamm
- Heinsberg* (district with 10 towns and municipalities; from April 2024)
- Herford (district with 9 cities)
- Herne
- Herzogenrath
- Hilchenbach
- Höxter
- Hürth
- Iserlohn
- Jüchen
- Jülich
- Kall
- Kerpen
- Kleve* (district with 16 towns and municipalities)
- Cologne*
- Kreuztal
- Kürten
- Location
- Langerwehe
- Leichlingen
- Lemgo
- Leverkusen
- Linnich
- Lippe* (district with 10 towns and 6 municipalities)
- Lippstadt
- Marl
- Menden
- Merzenich
- Minden-Lübbecke* (district with 11 towns and municipalities)
- Möhnesee
- Mönchengladbach*
- Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde
- Neuenrade
- Neuss
- Niederkrüchten
- Niederzier
- Oberbergischer Kreis* (with 13 towns and municipalities)
- Oer-Erkenschwick
- Oerlinghausen
- Paderborn
- Porta Westfalica
- Recklinghausen* (district with 10 municipalities)
- Recklinghausen
- Remscheid*
- Rheda-Wiedenbrück
- Rhine-Erft district (with 10 municipalities)
- Rhein-Sieg-Kreis* (with 19 municipalities)
- Rietberg
- Rommerskirchen
- Rüthen
- Schlangen
- Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock
- Schwerte
- Siegen
- Soest
- Solingen*
- Steinfurt* (district with 24 towns and municipalities)
- Steinheim
- Stolberg
- Sundern
- Swisttal
- Titz
- Unna* (district with 10 towns and municipalities)
- Verl
- Versmold
- Viersen* (district with 9 towns and municipalities)
- Voerde
- Warburg
- Warendorf (district with 13 municipalities)*
- Warstein
- Welver
- Werdohl
- Wesel* (district with 13 towns and municipalities)
- Willebadessen
- Willich
- Wülfrath
- Wuppertal*
- Würselen
- Andernach*
- Bad Bergzabern*
- Bad Hönningen* (municipality with 4 municipalities)
- Bellheim* (municipality with 4 municipalities)
- Brohltal* (municipality with 17 municipalities)
- Dörsdorf*
- Edenkoben*
- Eisenberg* (municipality with 3 municipalities)
- Germersheim*
- Gerolstein* (municipality with 38 municipalities)
- Haßloch*
- Herxheim* (municipality with 4 municipalities)
- Jockgrim* (municipality with 4 local communities)
- Kandel* (municipality with 7 municipalities)
- Koblenz*
- Landau* (from March 2024)
- Landau-Land* (municipality with 14 municipalities)
- Ludwigshafen*
- Maifeld* (joint municipality with 16 municipalities)
- Maikammer*
- Maxdorf*
- Neustadt an der Weinstraße*
- Neuwied*
- Offenbach an der Queich*
- Puderbach*
- Römerberg-Dudenhofen* (municipality with 4 municipalities)
- Saarburg-Kell* (municipality with 29 municipalities)
- Simmern-Rheinböllen* (municipality with 44 municipalities) (from February 2024)
- Speyer*
- Thörlingen*
- Weißenthurm* (municipality with 7 towns and municipalities)
- Wörth on the Rhine*
- Worms*
- Zweibrücken*
A cat protection ordinance has been in force in Saarland since 2021. In defined hotspots where there are large populations of free-roaming cats, a castration, identification and registration obligation comes into force after prior notice. Areas defined as hotspots:
City of Blieskastel (districts of Mimbach, Webenheim, Blieskastel-Mitte)*
- Grossenhain
- Großschirma (special regulation: Here the police regulation stipulates that "suitable measures must be taken to ensure that the population does not multiply uncontrollably. Cat owners must ensure that their cats do not run wild.")
- Radeberg
- Bad Dürrenberg
- Bitterfeld-Wolfen
- Droyßiger-Zeitzer Forst (association municipality with 5 municipalities)
- Gardelegen
- Hanseatic town of Havelberg*
- Huy (11 municipalities)
- Osterwieck (for the villages of Beißel, Bühne, Osterwieck, Schauen, Veltheim and Zilly)
- Stendal
- Tangerhütte
- Zerbst
- Amt Nordsee Treene* (with the municipalities of Arlewatt, Drage, Elisabeth-Sophien-Koog, Fresendelf, Hattstedt, Hattstedtermarsch, Horstedt, Hude, Koldenbüttel, Mildstedt, Nordstrand, Oldersbek, Olderup, Ostenfeld, Ramstedt, Rantrum, Schwabstedt, Seeth, Simonsberg, Süderhöft, Südermarsch, Uelvesbüll, Winnert, Wisch, Wittbek, Witzwort, Wobbenbüll)
- Lauenburg* (only compulsory identification and registration)
- Mölln*
- Ratzeburg*
- Altenburger Land* (administrative district with 38 municipalities)
- Apfelstädtaue* (administrative community with 5 municipalities)
- Breitungen/Werra*
- Brotterode-Trusetal* (without Brotterode and Wahles districts)
- Dachwig*
- Döllstädt*
- Eichsfeld* (administrative district with 68 municipalities)
- Emleben*
- Erfurt*
- Fambach (without Heßles district)*
- Floh-Seligenthal (for defined areas)*
- Frankenheim*
- Friedelshausen*
- Georgenthal* (with 11 localities)
- Gera*
- Gierstädt*
- Goldisthal
- Gotha
- Grabfeld*
- Großfahner*
- Herrenhof*
- Jena*
- Kaltennordheim (for defined areas)*
- Luisenthal*
- Mehmels*
- Meiningen (for defined areas)*
- Neuhaus am Rennweg
- Nordhausen*
- Obermaßfeld-Grimmenthal*
- Ohrdruf*
- Rohr*
- Rosa (without Georgenzell district)*
- Roßdorf*
- Saale-Holzland-Kreis (district with 91 municipalities)*
- Schleusingen
- Schmalkalden (for defined areas)*
- Schwallungen (for defined areas)*
- Schwarza*
- Steinbach-Hallenberg*
- Tonna*
- Waltershausen*
- Wasungen (for defined areas)*
- Weimar*
This is what the German Animal Welfare Federation demands
In order to sustainably reduce the misery of feral cats, a nationwide neutering obligation is required for free-roaming cats from private households that have uncontrolled free access. We show what this could look like with a concrete proposal for an amendment to the law by reformulating Section 13b of the Animal Welfare Act . The fact that a nationwide neutering obligation is legally feasible is also confirmed by the expert opinion of the German Legal Society for Animal Protection Law (available in German only).
The German Animal Welfare Federation, together with its affiliated animal welfare organizations, has been campaigning for many years for mandatory identification and registration of cats across the board. This means that all owners of free-roaming cats should be obliged to have their pets identified with a transponder and microchip and to register them in a pet register such as FINDEFIX.
Sources
1 Deutscher Tierschutzbund (2023): Der große Katzenschutzreport. S. 21-34. (available in German only)
2 Deutscher Tierschutzbund (2023): Der große Katzenschutzreport. S. 46. (available in German only)