One Voice, who has been fighting against feline straying for years, has implemented the educational Chatipi programme, which educates the population on cats in general and allows these felines with no human family to no longer suffer in misery. One Voice is also implementing three-way partnerships with town councils (or residential areas) and local associations to microchip and most importantly neuter homeless cats and release them if they cannot be adopted, while providing them with a wooden chalet for them to rehydrate themselves, eat, and take comfort. This is what has happened in Grenoble, where an agreement was signed between the town, Cosa Animalia, and One Voice. A press conference will take place on Monday 23 January at 10:45am.
The press conference on Monday 23 January will take place behind 48, quai de France in Grenoble (in front of the Chatipi) at 10:45am. It will happen in the presence of Sandra Krief, Town Councillor responsible for animal welfare, and Andréa Argémi, President of the local Cosa Animalia Association. Finally is Mathilde Perrot who is in charge of the Chatipi programme for One Voice and who will represent the association.
According to Sandra Krief, Town Councillor responsible for animal welfare in Grenoble:
According to Mathilde Perrot, Head of the Chatipi Programme for One Voice:
According to Muriel Arnal, Founding President of One Voice:
Chatipi: a lasting solution for the vicious circle of feline straying
Chatipi is a plan with the ethical aim of creating areas for stray cats in order to keep them safe while raising awareness among citizens of their suffering and needs. Around twenty projects are in place and almost as many are being developed. Several Chatipis have been established near schools or nursing homes, health centres, and hospitals (particularly in Pitié-Salpêtrière), not only to give cats safety but also to offer comfort to residents. Because One Voice's goal is fundamentally to educate about cats.
In fact, we too often mistakenly describe these small felines as independent animals, when they are very affectionate, loyal, and dependent, which makes them vulnerable in the event of being abandoned.
Neutering must be habitual!
That being said, feline straying is not only caused by abandonment. This vicious circle begins with erroneous assumptions about cats, particularly that they have an intrinsic need to reproduce in order to be happy, which leads to their human families not always getting them neutered. Many cat births take place in the wild. In any case, these kittens, when they survive, are hit by hunger, cold, and illness. They are neither microchipped nor neutered, because their humans are sometimes not even aware of their existence. And so, litters only continue to multiply in these circumstances. Towns or drop-in centres must manage these individuals faced with this misfortune, which also has an impact on biodiversity. One Voice has, by the way, published its investigation footage in two pounds, one in Lot-et-Garonne, the other in Normandy, and is calling for awareness of the problem to be raised urgently by public services but also and primarily by the public themselves. Neutering cats must be part of the compulsory steps when we commit to taking one on.
Sharing out tasks and responsibilities
One Voice, who invented the Chatipi concept, provides the chalet and the cat flaps and is responsible for the feeding and veterinary fees (neutering, microchipping, tests) for the cats at the beginning of the operation as well as the educational board. The location and implementation of the concrete slab is left to the town. The local animal protection association manages the feeding and health monitoring of the cats long-term; Cosa Animalia has also promised to set up the chalet and to do the interior layout.
The One Voice site dedicated to the Chatipi programme gives lots of information on this educational programme on cats.
Sign the petition for an urgent plan for feline straying.
Translated from the French by Joely Justice
