Volunteers in Orihuela Costa are voicing their frustrations as they continue to shoulder the burden of managing local feline colonies without adequate support from the Town Hall. The council announced an emergency plan in July to address the uncontrolled rise of these colonies, which have become a health concern for nearby residents. However, volunteers report that they are left to cover the costs of treatments and sterilisation without collaboration from the local authority.

According to Isabel Befán, president of the Orihuela Costa Feline Colonies Association, the council has not provided adequate sterilisation services. Although a government subsidy was allocated for this purpose, the lack of support has left volunteers to pay for food and veterinary care out of their own pockets. Currently, the council has offered sterilisation for only twenty-eight cats along the coast, despite being aware of more than sixty colonies with over a thousand cats.

Volunteers are also raising concerns about the veterinary services chosen by the council, located nearly forty kilometres away. Complaints about unclean practices and the condition of the animals post-surgery have prompted calls for better veterinary oversight. Some animals returned from procedures have required emergency care due to infections that arose from poor surgical practices.

The association urges the Town Hall to fulfil its obligations under the Animal Welfare Law and to improve communication with residents about the feeding regulations. A growing number of community members have attended training programmes to learn about proper cat colony management, but there remains a significant gap in action from local authorities, especially when compared to neighbouring municipalities like Torrevieja and Pilar de la Horadada.