Palma town hall and animal-welfare groups have launched a campaign to "adopt a cat" from the Son Reus animal centre.
As is usual at this time of the year, the town hall's animal-welfare department is reminding the public that "animals are not toys and that they should not be given as presents or bought without being clear about what it means to have an animal at home - its needs and the obligations this entails".
Where this commitment is understood, the department is asking for adoption to be the first option in order to give "a new opportunity" to cats which have been abandoned or given up by their owners.
The campaign focuses specifically on cats, although the town hall is stressing that the approach is the same for dogs. However, people are more likely to adopt a dog, and all the dogs that arrive at Son Reus end up being adopted.
This said, cat adoption has been increasing. By the end of November, 407 cats at Son Reus had been adopted; there were 389 for the whole of 2020. Furthermore, fewer owners are giving up their cats. There were 113 in 2019; 80 in 2020; and 49 by the end of November.