Caretaking Practices for Unowned Free-Roaming Cats in Belgrade: A Clinic-Based Descriptive Study

Unowned free-roaming cats represent an important challenge for animal welfare, veterinary public health, and urban population management. The aim of this study was to describe selected caretaking practices among a clinic-based sample of people caring for unowned free-roaming cats in Belgrade, Serbia. A questionnaire survey included 65 caretakers who visited the study clinics for issues related to cats under their care. Participants were classified as independent caretakers (N = 26), members of neighborhood-based informal groups (N = 22), or members of non-governmental organizations (N = 17). Together, they cared for 428 cats. All participants provided food. Although 72% of caretakers had neutered at least one cat, only 34% of all cats were neutered. Overall, 37% of caretakers had vaccinated at least one cat against feline infectious diseases during their caretaking activity, while 7% of cats under their care were reported as vaccinated at the time of data collection. None of the cats was reported to be vaccinated against rabies or microchipped. Rehoming was reported by 52% of caretakers, with 79 cats rehomed during their caretaking activity. These findings indicate that informal caretakers may represent a relevant but currently non-institutionalized stakeholder group for free-roaming cat welfare and population management. Their education and integration into structured veterinary and municipal programs could contribute to more systematic management of unowned cats in Belgrade. Cite this article as: Drašković, V., Hajzler, I., Nenadović, K., Vučinić, M., & Vučićević, M. (2026). Caretaking practices for unowned free-roaming cats in Belgrade: a clinic-based descriptive study. Acta Veterinaria Eurasia, 52, 0136, doi: 10.5152/actavet.2026.26136.