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On World Cat Day, August 8, Austria’s kitties will be in the spotlight—and their owners stand to win great prizes. The “Krone” Pet Corner presents interesting facts about the country’s most beloved pets and is launching a photo contest in partnership with Fressnapf.

Austria is truly a cat lover’s paradise. Around two million felines share their homes with their owners here. While only one in four households across Europe owns a cat, no other pet has captured so many couches and hearts here.

A Day of Honor for Truly Unique Cats
Every cat has its own personality and impresses with its calm self-assurance. Whether big or small, spotted or solid-colored, short-haired or long-haired, with or without a disability, every cat is unique in its own way.

Since 2002, our feline companions have had their own special day: World Cat Day on August 8. While many cats lead sheltered lives, animal advocates use this occasion to draw attention to ongoing issues in cat care.

(Bild: Svetlana Rey - stock.adobe.com)

Not every cat has it good
In Vienna alone, estimates suggest that more than 5,000 stray cats roam the streets; across Austria, the number is said to be in the tens of thousands. The main culprits are people who fail to have their cats spayed or neutered despite the legal requirement to do so. The animals continue to breed uncontrollably, and many kittens are born sick and neglected. Animal shelters have long since reached their capacity limits. The Austrian Animal Welfare Association is even warning that this year could set a tragic record.

Even with purebred cats, animal suffering is knowingly accepted. Cruel breeding practices are prohibited in Austria under the Animal Welfare Act; anyone who imports, purchases, or brokers such animals risks a fine of up to 7,500 euros. The best-known example is the Scottish Fold with its cute folded ears; in reality, however, this is caused by an incurable, painful cartilage disorder from which every single Scottish Fold suffers.

Flat faces in Persian cats, lack of fur in hairless cats, and the short legs of the Munchkin cat are also considered traits resulting from cruel breeding practices and lead to breathing difficulties, heart problems, or intervertebral disc damage. Despite the ban, the trade continues to boom, especially via social media.

Wissenswertes

Diese Gesetze sollte jeder Katzenhalter kennen

Outdoor cats live dangerously. Depending on the federal state, cats may be shot within a certain distance of residential areas. In Burgenland, the limit is 200 meters from residential buildings; in Vienna and Upper Austria, it’s 300 meters. In Upper Austria, this applies even if the cat has already been caught in a trap. There are callshere for a uniform hunting law that no longer permits the shooting of pets.

Neutering, Microchipping, Registration
Since 2016, Austria has had a mandatory neutering requirement for all cats with regular access to the outdoors. The only exceptions are registered breeding cats. Anyone who fails to comply risks being reported to the official veterinarian. Breeding cats must also be identified with a microchip and registered in the pet database within one month. Microchipping and registration pay off for every cat! This is the only way a lost animal can be clearly identified as belonging to its owner and returned home.

Mandatory Fall Protection
Since 2005, the nationwide Animal Welfare Act has required that windows and balconies on the first floor and above be secured against falls. Nevertheless, in Vienna alone, between April and October, up to 15 cats fall daily from open, unsecured windows or balconies. Many suffer life-threatening injuries or are found dead.

Did you know that cats...

• can’ttaste sweetness? They simply lack the gene for it
• don’t actually meow to each other? They only do that for us humans. With other cats, they communicate through body language, scent marks, and sounds like growling or hissing
• can’t tolerate cow’s milk? They’re lactose intolerant; milk often causes them to have diarrhea
• have 32 muscles in each ear? Humans have only six
• can rotate their ears 180 degrees, prick them up, and fold them back? This enables three-dimensional hearing
• jump about five times their own height from a standing position ?
• can purr so deeply thanks to a unique tissue pad in their vocal cords? A team from Vetmeduni Vienna discovered this
• reach up to 1,500 vibrations per minute when purring ?

Enter to win!
To celebrate World Cat Day, the “Krone” Pet Corner, in collaboration with Fressnapf Austria, is looking for the best cat photos from our readers.

Please note that the image must be at least 500 KB in size and in landscape orientation. You can win Fressnapf gift cards with a total value of 400 euros.

You can upload the best photo of your cat right here by August 13: