Hotels. Cats would have their own feeding areas in the grounds

Hotels. Cats would have their own feeding areas in the grounds

C.M.W. Maó01/03/10 0:00
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Last July the Director of ETN, a European association for the protection of animals and the environment based in Germany, visited Menorca in order to promote various initiatives that are successfully being carried out elsewhere in Europe. Accompanied by representatives from Menorca's Animal Defence Associations the ETN Director visited the animal refuges and learned at first hand the type of animal protection initiatives in being on the island.

Free advice

ETN has a group of German architects who are experts in the construction of low-cost animal refuges and the director offered their advice, free of charge, to the Menorcan authorities.

He also invited the Councillor for Local Co-operation, Susana Gomila, the President of the Island Council, Marc Pons, and the Councillor for Tourism, Lázaro Criado, on a free trip to Germany to see the work being done there. To date there has been no response to this offer but Susana Gomila has explained that they will respond once they have held talk with the island's Town Councils, as both the Maó and Ciutadella animal shelters are run on concessions financed 50% by the Island Council and 50% by the Town Councils.

Animal-Friendly hotels

Another project that ETN would like to see developed in Menorca is the involvement of hotels in the care of stray cats, a project running in hotels in Lanzarote that work with the German tour operator TUI, with whom ETN have an agreement. These hotels have seen an increase in bookings as a result and are also mentioned by name in numerous tourism forums for the good work they are doing.

The project involves the hotels providing an area where the cats can be kept and given water and food, away from the dining room or hotel entrances. The staff have to ensure that the cats are fed and to advise local ETN volunteers if any of the cats require veterinary treatment. The colonies of cats are controlled through castration. The advantage is that the cats are encouraged to a specific area and thus do not cause a problem for the hotel or its guests.

The Marriott hotels in Mallorca have also adopted this scheme and, like their Lanzarote counterparts, have been pleasantly surprised at the resulting increase in business.

The Menorcan Hoteliers' Associaton, ASHOME, is fully in favour of the idea, believeing it to be of benefit to both the hotels and cat population. The President, Joan Melis, is to start talks aimed at setting up the project locally next season.