Two new Chatipis for stray cats in Hérault – Inaugurations in Montpellier and Azillanet on 19 and 20 November

Montpellier: a unique partnership with the Crous for the welfare of free-roaming cats

On Tuesday 19 November at 9.30am, One Voice, the association Les Chats libres du Crous and the Crous de Montpellier will inaugurate a new Chatipi in Boutonnet Park (2, rue Monteil).

This solidarity-based and ethical project marks the first collaboration between One Voice and the Crous (regional centre for university and school works), as part of ongoing efforts to protect homeless cats on the campus.

The inauguration will take place in the presence of Delphine Simon, treasurer of the association and deputy head of human resources at the Crous, Julie Vernadat, president of the association, and Mathilde Perrot for One Voice.

Several sterilisation campaigns have been carried out on campus by the town council of Montpellier and other local associations. The Chatipi now perpetuates these efforts by offering cats a safe place to feed, shelter and live with dignity, while raising awareness among students and staff about sterilisation and care.

The project received the support of three complementary partners: the Crous laid the concrete foundation, assembled the hut and the information board, and participates in the daily feeding of the cats and maintenance of the site. The association Les Chats libres du Crous is responsible for trapping and health monitoring and contributes to the purchase of food. One Voice financed the hut, cat flaps and educational board, thirty kilos of dry food, and fifteen sterilizations, taggings, and health tests. In the long term, veterinary and maintenance costs will be shared between the association and the Crous in a joint and cooperative management arrangement.

Azillanet: an exemplary local mobilization for the cats of the village

On Wednesday 20 November at 11am, a Chatipi will be inaugurated on Rue de la Mairie (at the intersection with Rue de la Rampe) in the presence of Mayor Alexandre Dye, Suzanne Hails, president of the Les Minous Libres Azillanetois association, and Mathilde Perrot for One Voice.

In Azillanet, the concrete foundation and a retaining wall were built by the town council, which also helped to assemble the hut with volunteers from the association. Les Minous Libres Azillanetois was in charge of painting, interior fittings (flooring, shelves, linoleum) and financing of these elements, and will provide food, health monitoring and long-term veterinary costs, while One Voice paid for the hut, cat flaps, boards, dry food, sterilisation, tagging and health tests.

Azillanet’s application was approved in view of the urgent situation: the cats were being fed at the side of the road, in a dangerous environment and in the presence of a hostile neighbour. The Chatipi project has made it possible to keep these cats safe, to provide them with a suitable place to live, and to establish a harmonious cohabitation between the felines and the population. There are now nearly fifty stray cats in the town, around thirty of which have already been neutered.

A practical and educational response to feline straying

One Voice, which has been fighting against feline straying in France for years, is developing three-way partnerships between local authorities, local associations and citizens.

The aim is to tag, neuter and treat homeless cats before releasing them back into their original location, which has been equipped with a wooden hut where they can find food, shelter and water.

Beyond the practical protection of stray cats, the Chatipi project has a strong educational dimension. It invites people to reflect on the fate of so-called ‘free’ cats, often mistakenly perceived as happy street animals, when in fact their daily lives are marked by hunger, disease and constant danger.

By creating visible places that are integrated into the life of the local community, Chatipi is changing attitudes and raising awareness among residents and institutions around the need for respectful and responsible coexistence with animals. It embodies a link between animal protection and civic engagement, at the very heart of the regions.

📍 Practical information

• Montpellier: Tuesday 19 November, 9.30am – Boutonnet Park (2, rue Monteil).
• Azillanet: Wednesday 20 November, 11am – rue de la Mairie (at the intersection with rue de la Rampe).