Panticosa approves the feline colony management program

The Panticosa City Council has definitively approved the municipality’s Feline Colony Management Program through Mayoral Resolution No. 699 of 2026, signed on August 26, 2026, by Mayor Jesus Maria Uriz Zuloaga. The agreement is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Huesca, number 166, dated Tuesday, September 1, 2026, with official reference BOPH-2026-166007.

The program is based on Law 7/2023, of March 28, on the protection of animal rights and welfare, which assigns the management of community cats to local entities. Its objective is to improve the quality of life of feral cats, control overpopulation, and promote coexistence within the urban reality of Panticosa through the TNR method (trap, neuter, and return), with the intervention of registered veterinary professionals.

Current Situation and Scope of Application

The program will be implemented in the urban feline colonies within the municipal district. According to the document, it is estimated that there are 7-8 colonies in the urban center, with more than sixty cats in total. The City Council works with the non-profit association “4Gatos Panticosa”, which receives municipal funding, and is studying the location of the colonies to reduce their number and review their conditions.

• Cats from private individuals will not be attended to.
• Colonies will preferably be located in public spaces, respecting their current location.
• A colony will be relocated only in cases of force majeure, always to a nearby location and without risk to the animals.

Trap, Neuter, and Return

The program establishes a complete health protocol for each colony. Surgical sterilization is mandatory for all cats, both females and males, and is performed with ear-tipping: a notch in the left ear for males and in the right ear for females.

• Mandatory identification via microchip registered under municipal ownership.
• Vaccination and parasite control based on the criteria of a registered veterinarian.
• Return to the colony of origin within a period of 24-72 hours.
• Capture using carriers or trap-cages, monitored continuously.

Citizen Collaboration and Prohibitions

The program relies on the work of authorized collaborating volunteers, who must register by submitting an application to the City Council Registry and coordinate with the 4Gatos Panticosa association. Their duties include capture, the release of sterilized felines, the controlled supply of dry food, and the monitoring of feline immigration.

Pursuant to Article 42 of Law 7/2023, the culling of cats (except for sanitary reasons), the confinement of non-socialized cats, abandonment, release into foreign colonies, hunting use, and the removal of cats from their colony except for specific exceptions are prohibited. The City Council assumes responsibility for healthcare and will coordinate actions with the Municipal Brigade, the Regional Agro-Environmental Office, and animal protection associations.

The resolution, which exhausts administrative remedies, may be appealed for reconsideration within one month or before the Contentious-Administrative Section of the Court of First Instance of Huesca within two months. The program shall have an indefinite duration and will be reviewed periodically, making Panticosa a local benchmark in the ethical and sanitary management of community cats.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Huesca, No. 166, Tuesday, September 1, 2026, Local Administration, p. 11 (official reference: BOPH-2026-166007).