Guardamar Council has announced it will ban the feeding of feral cat colonies on the southern breakwater of the town’s port after a video showing large rats eating dry cat food spread widely among residents.

Mayor José Luis Sáez said the presence of rats is not new and has been linked to rubbish left behind by dozens of anglers who visit the area each day. He stressed that volunteers who feed the cats are not responsible for the rise in rodents. The breakwater forms part of a protected bird habitat at the mouth of the River Segura, where cats are prohibited under environmental legislation.

The council has contacted its pest control contractor, although the mayor said conventional eradication methods cannot be used because of environmental restrictions. He noted that the breakwater falls under coastal public domain managed by the regional government, but the council still installs litter bins and supports regular clean-up operations with volunteers.

Municipal environmental technicians are now conducting a census of feral cat colonies. The aim is to reduce the current thirty feeding points by half, introduce tighter control of registered feeders and comply with animal welfare laws while limiting the population without euthanasia.