FAQ - read before you call

Can Koteria catch and take somewhere cats, find homes for them ... ?

No, it can not. Koteria helps those who want to take care of the urban cats and not those who want to get rid of them (for whatever reasons). We work to solve the problem of cats only in one way: helping caregivers of stray cats to reduce reproduction of these animals. Therefore, we do not do anything that would exclude the particular carer under whose custody the cat will be returned after the treatment.

How much does it cost to spay/neuter a cat?

Nothing, if the cat is stray, and we admit only those (the carer sign a declaration). All Koteria services are free of charge, financed by the Foundation for Animals ARGOS, which collects the money from various sources. We encourage everyone to pay donations to the bank account 47 1240 6133 1111 0000 4808 5915.

Does Koteria admit cat litters?

We can accept blind litters in order to put them to sleep, but in such circumstances we also expect that the mother would be spayed. If they already can see? They can not be put to death. Koteria is also not prepared for raising such kittens. We can only try to find the temporary home willing to undertake this task.

Does Koteria perform the treatments of the cats owned by people with the low-income?

Generally, no. Such assistance should be sought in other organizations.

Is it possible to adopt the cat from Koteria?

Yes. In Koteria tend to be tamed cats that are eligible for adoption. The adoption is decided upon in a consultation with the carer who delivered the cat.

Does Koteria accept cats from outside Warsaw?

Yes. We do not use any formal territorial restrictions, but we always record where the cat comes from.

Can the cat be delivered at any time?

It is required to contact the Centre ahead by phone (535 870 225). We have a few dozen places occupied by 7-days and 2-days long stays. Because many patients are waiting for their turn, we must ensure an efficient way of accepting and returning the animals. It may happen that we will need to postpone the admission of the cat. Registration is performed in order to ensure that nobody will be sent back from the Koteria doors due to the lack of available place.

Are there any particular opening hours?

Yes. The centre is open from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm and on Saturdays until 1.00 pm. On Sunday, we are closed for the cats' admission. If it is really necessary, the cat can be accepted outside opening hours. In urgent cases, please call the number 603 651 044 - all day.

Is it possible to collect the cat earlier?

Yes, of course, if the caregiver can provide the animal with the post-operative care at home (observation, limiting its movements), and of course if the doctor has no objections.

Does Koteria provide medical treatment to stray cats?

We would like to, but Koteria accept mostly untamed cats. This limits a range of treatments. Routinely we do what can be done on the occasion of keeping the cat under anaesthesia (teeth check, ears cleaning, de-fleaing, de-worming). Longer treatment (pills, injections, surgeries) although technically possible, is far too violent and stressful for the untamed animal. It is simply pointless. In addition, the place where so many stray cats from different colonies are kept is not the right placement for the sick and weak animals. In some specific cases, especially of tamed cats, we can provide financial assistance to the carer in order to perform the treatment outside Koteria or at the temporary home. Each case is treated individually and we take our time to observe our patients. It is the reason why we have them under our custody for a longer time instead of returning them immediately after they are awakened from anaesthesia.

Is Koteria a habitat of a cat epidemic?

It can easily be, as any other place where many cats of various origins have contact with each other. The threat of infection is the central front in our daily struggle. At the beginning, we had to deal with panleukopenia which costed us the lives of several cats. Then we had a less dangerous calicivirus. We developed daily procedures of dealing with the cats, procedures of weekly cleaning and disinfecting of the entire centre, we have also extraordinary procedures. In addition to the main hall, there are two isolation cages and we can easily move the entire support-frames with cages.

Why doesn't Koteria vaccinate the cats against infectious diseases?

The stress of capturing the cat, its stay in the centre and of course the treatment weaken the immune system of our patients making the effectiveness of vaccination questionable. Vaccination should be repeated after some time and in case of urban cats it is rather impossible. We vaccinate animals only in very particular cases (extended stay, temporary homes, adoption). This includes rabies. Unlike dogs, cats are subjected to compulsory vaccination against rabies only when they end up in shelters.

Why doesn't Koteria examine the cats in terms of serious infectious diseases (FIP, FeLV, FIV)?

In order to get the probable test result, it is necessary to repeat it after about a month. Keeping untamed cat for so long is very dangerous due to the high level off stress which activates diseases. On the other hand, re-capturing of the particular cat is usually not possible. We perform tests only in exceptional cases. Generally, it is not our aim to cure or to make a selection in the urban cat population. Prior to prevail over their fertility, it would be a very abstract goal.

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