Spain animal welfare laws define community cat management

Urban cat populations are categorized into three distinct profiles based on their relationship with humans: domestic cats, feral cats, and community cats. Domestic cats are socialized with humans during critical early weeks, while feral cats grow without human contact and view humans as threats.

Community cats represent a legal category of animals living in free colonies within towns and cities. These colonies often consist of a mix of feral individuals and lost or abandoned cats that have learned to tolerate human presence at a distance.

Under the Law for the Protection of Animal Rights and Welfare, the community cat is a recognized legal figure. The law establishes the CER method (Capture, Sterilization, and Return) as the only ethical and scientifically supported way to manage feline populations. This regulation prohibits removing these cats from their colonies, except for veterinary reasons or for the adoption of kittens during socialization phases.