Healthy colonies, humanely managed
How our volunteers look after Sotogrande’s street cat colonies.
Who we are
SoCCS, the Sotogrande Cat Care Society, is a registered non-profit run by a small group of unpaid volunteers. We partner with communities and businesses to manage the street cat colonies in and around Sotogrande, and we assist the local authorities when there’s a need or a request for help.
We do not receive any government support. Everything we do is paid for by our supporters’ donations, and when those run short, by our volunteers out of their own pockets.
Trap, neuter, return (TNR)
We trap feral cats humanely, have them neutered and treated by our partner vets, then return them to the colony they know. Neutered cats stop producing unwanted litters. They also fight less, roam less and live calmer, healthier lives. Over time a managed colony gets smaller by itself.
Ear tipping and notching
While a cat is under anaesthetic for neutering, the vet removes a small piece of one ear: either the tip, cut straight across (ear tipping), or a small notch from the edge (ear notching). The cat feels nothing at the time and the ear heals quickly. It lets volunteers see from a distance that a cat has already been neutered, so it isn’t trapped and operated on again.
In Spanish law
Spain’s animal welfare law, Ley 7/2023 (article 3.w), describes managing a cat colony as feeding the cats, counting them and running a health and neutering programme using TNR, called CER in Spanish. That is the work our volunteers do in Sotogrande’s eight colonies.
How it works
- 01
Spot
The volunteers who feed each colony every day notice any new or unneutered cat.
- 02
Trap
The cat is caught in a humane trap, without harm, and taken to one of our partner vets.
- 03
Neuter and check
The vet neuters the cat and checks it over, treating wounds, infections and parasites.
- 04
Return
The cat goes back to the colony it knows, where it is fed every day and watched for any sign of trouble.
Feeding established zones
We feed the cats in recognised colonies so they stay healthy and stay put. A well fed colony keeps rats and mice down naturally, so there’s less call for the poisons that are cruel to animals and bad for the environment.
Our focus is the colonies
Our volunteers’ time and your donations go into Sotogrande’s colonies: feeding, trap, neuter, return and vet care for the cats who live there.
SoCCS has no shelter, so we can’t take cats in. If you find a cat that seems lost, a vet can check it for a microchip so it can get home. For rescue and rehoming, the charities on our associates page do that work every day.
See our associatesBe part of it
Give once or every month, send a bag of food from our Amazon Wishlist, or help feed the cats when you have a few minutes. Every little bit goes a long way.