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Date Published: 15/12/2023

Cat colony could stop construction of new property development in Alicante

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A judge has ordered the stoppage of building work due to the present of a colony of street cats, but first animal welfare associations must stump up 20,000 euros

Cat colony could stop construction of new property development in Alicante

A huge residential property development in the province of Alicante could be halted to protect a colony of around 70 feral cats.

The 1,200 new homes being built in an urbanisation in Alicante’s Altea, in the comarca of Marina Baixa, were originally slated to be ready in November 2024 and it was slated to become a major residential area at nearly 250,000m2.

However, that could be put on hold after a judge ordered a pause to construction work due to the clowder of cats living there.

Raphaela Fischer, president of the ‘Bigatos’ association that went to court to stop development in the area, said the animals are becoming traumatised by the heavy machinery and noise.

“Some colonies are ten years old, others five or six. But they are all registered,” she said.

Along with Somos Gos, another association involved in the protection of the cats, Bigatos went to court to have the construction work halted.

Eloi Sarrió, the lawyer representing the associations, said of the judge’s favourable verdict, “It is the first time that an urban plan of a town council is judicially halted to protect feline colonies.”

Before work can stop, though, the two cat protection associations must stump up 20,000 euros as a guarantee, “money that we do not have,” according to Fischer.

While trying to raise the funds to pause construction work, they also wish to relocate the cat colony to somewhere safer that will not cause them stress. However, that is a process that will take a long time as it involves slowly moving their feeding points away from the construction zone.

“It’s not something that can be done with the work in progress,” said Sarrió. “The municipality must provide for their transfer in a safe way.”

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