New U.K. Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats
Whilst the Code does not technically have the force of law it can influence a court when considering prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which carry penalties of up to six (6) months imprisonment and/or fines up to £20,000. Notable obligations on cat owners will include
“The Code is not patronising at all,” said Zeta Frasca, veterinarian and owner of Kitten to Cat, London’s only cat only veterinary clinic in Richmond-Upon Thames, “best practice for cat welfare, such as the importance of play time and the number and location of litter trays is not intuitive and the Code educates us on the effect these things have on cats’ stress levels and the types of problems you can expect if you get it wrong.”
Ms Frasca regretted that the code is not strong enough on the subject of neutering. Although it details the benefits of that surgery, it makes no requirement for it to be done.
Historically, the U.K. has been well ahead of the United States in matters related to cat welfare. While in the U.S. declawing is considered by many to be a routine surgery ("will you have a declaw with that neuter?"), in the U.K. it is considered animal abuse and is illegal.
Although animal cruelty laws in the United States have tightened up in recent years, we have a long way to go to catch up. I'll be interested in reading readers' reaction to this new Code of Practice. You can see the entire Code of Practice here. (It is a PDF file.)
Comments
While this is a very good idea to help ensure cat welfare, having at least one litter tray per cat in different parts of the house is a completely ridiculous addition to it. I have 3 cats that they have ALWAYS shared 1 litter box and they’ve never had a problem with it.
I am VERY happy that it states they cannot be vegetarians.
Didn’t I read here at one time that in London that it’s illegal to keep your cat as a indoor cat only? That’s a law that should be changed in my opinion. Not only does it help to insure that your cat won’t be attacked by other animals, won’t be run over by traffic or pick up diseases and such from outside, it also extends the life of your cat. I understand that some believe that it’s keeping them locked up and is cruel, but I think that allowing your cat to run where it wants to outside puts it in danger of getting hurt, maimed or killed. Our cat is an indoor cat only, and although she watches through the window at things outside, she’s much happier, clean, warm and healthy being indoors.
In my honest opinion that’s something that should also be changed in London, giving the choice to the owners as to whether they want to make their cats indoor only, indoor/outdoor or outdoor only. Not to dictate what has to be.
I think the Code of Practice has it spot on, even regarding the litter trays. I have two cats and I’ve tried the separate litter boxes but the boys just swap and use whatever box they care to!
Remember this is a code of practice not a legal requirement and fair consideration will be given to the owner who ultimately knows their cat(s) best.
Does anyone at DEFRA own a cat? My cats are not clever enough to know their personal litter tray.
They should think about the veterinary charges especially with conglomerate practices and big fat cats ripping us off. The vets stick together and it is difficult to complain.
In 40 years my vets have got more wrong than right. They are only interested in money not the cats welfare.
The part of the Code about litter trays comes from an established rule of thumb: one litter box per cat and one extra. (The 1+1 rule). It has nothing to do with each cat having an exclusive litter box - just having enough to go around. Yes, some experiences may vary, but this is just a guideline.
Bonnie- It is not illegal (in London or anywhere as far as I know) to keep a cat indoors. The DEFRA code does contemplate the situation of indoor cats. Provided they have plenty of mental stimulus then an indoor cat is fine. Both our cats are indoor cats and many of our clients keep indoor cats either because they live in flats with no outdoor space (very common in central London) or are worried about the same things you are. Some Landlords make it a term of their lease that tenants cannot keep pets and perhaps this is also the case for government landlords (I don’t know) but that is a matter between the landlord and tenant and not a general rule.
Maggie- sorry to hear that. Sounds like you need to try a new vet
I was in cat rescue for over 20 years and am totally against cat collars, having seen how cats can get tangled in or strangled by, ill-fitted collars.
I have 32 cats at present - all fit and healthy, I’m not “a collecter” - and the idea of a litter tray per cat is ludicrous. My 11 trays are changed every day and the cats are laid back about that, thankyou ..
Also, a few of my cats are agorophobic (funnily enough some ferals go that way .. maybe afraid they won’t be let back in to comfort again!) and I’m darn sure I’d rather see an indoor cat than a cat put down because of a lack of “outdoor allowed” homes.
Even playing with your cat is not reasonable to demand - cats can perfectly happily play on their own .. just watch any feral colony of kittens .. and owner playtime is simply a bonus not a necessity.
The so-called experts aren’t just patronising, they’re downright dangerous.
(I never forget that the much lauded RSPCA helped draft the UK’s infamous Dangerous Dogs Act.)
I do think the litter box thing is a bit much. I have six cats and we only use 2 boxes, just scoop them and clean them once a week, we’ve never had an issue with it. All the cats are well cared for, our vets think they are fantastic, two or three of them are a few pounds overweight but nothing the vet is concerned about.
In fact, we recently had a blockage concern with one of the males (turns out it wasnt a blockage and he’s fine after his last day of antibiotics) but the vet’s, both the emergency and our regular vet said he was great, healthy, and in fact wouldnt stop purring long enough for them to get a heart rate. Ha ha all my cats are such sweetpeas!! We always get compliments on them.
We have 3 cats and 2 trays, which are cleaned every other day and work well for our situation. My problem is the ‘fat cat’ clause. Two of our girls are a good weight for their size, but our youngest, Lucy, is overweight. She was that way when we adopted her from the shelter and it’s not easy to drop the pounds off her. She had lived in a shelter cage almost her entire life and all she found to do was eat. We regulate how much she eats and what she eats, and we keep her active (fortunately, she’s a young cat so playing is something she loves to do) but she’s still overweight. We haven’t given up, though. It’s just an ongoing project.
Ok I love the fact that they did this, but it saddens me to think they had to.
as for all you people who think less litter boxes are fine. Just because it works for you and your cats does not mean it works for all cats. Some cats are much more particular about their bathroom habits, and will hold it until the boxes are clean. This is not healthy for cats (as it isn’t for humans)
and just like a lot of cats do fine eating dry food - does not mean that dry food is high quality good for your kitty food (see http://www.catinfo.org before you berate that one) and just like a lot of humans eat junk food and don’t exercise and seem perfectly healthy - it does not mean it is ideal.
there is nothing wrong with providing more litter boxes. it isn’t like your cats are going to complain.
and the reasoning behind the multiple boxes - in case you were wondering - cats like to urinate and deficate in different places - at least six inches apart from previous deposits. Kinda hard to do with multiple cats and only one box. not to mention their noses are much more sensitive then ours and it is much closer to the source of the odor than ours are, so even a seemingly clean box can be offensive to them.
Good rules, not going far enough indeed.
Some people have problem with the rule with controlling the diet, but I have seen too many extremely obese cats whre the owners say “oh, I like her fat look”.
Declawing is considered animal cruelty and thus illegal in most western countries, U.S. has a long way to go .
tough to find these guidelines credible when they only “encourage” the neutering of outdoor cats
Ernie, did you read the same guidelines I did? I saw nothing there to imply that neutering was only encouraged for outdoor cats.
Here’s the exact text:
Neutering
You should consider having your cat neutered to prevent the birth of
unwanted kittens. . .
and
Neutering
5.5 One particularly important consideration is preventing the birth of
unwanted kittens. You should, therefore, consider having your cat
neutered. Cats can be neutered from about four months old
onwards, but your veterinary surgeon will be able to advise you
about the best age. With female cats, it is best to have them
neutered before their first season. This usually happens when they
are between four to six months old.
Having your cat neutered has many benefits:
• female cats can have as many as three litters a year if not neutered.
A cat can have up to five or six kittens per litter, potentially
producing up to 18 possibly unwanted kittens a year so you may
end up with more cats than you can properly care for;
• motherhood takes a lot out of a cat and having repeated litters may
shorten her life expectancy;
• neutering female cats means they will not suffer from infections of
the uterus later in life;
• un-neutered male cats are more likely to mark by spraying strong
smelling urine inside their homes;
• un-neutered male cats are more likely to wander widely and to fight.
Neutering them reduces the risk of abscesses resulting from fights
and injuries caused by road traffic accidents;
• un-neutered male cats can cause distress to neighbours by
spraying near their homes, fighting with their pet cats and being
noisy;
• reproductive hormones can influence the behaviour of un-neutered
male and female cats. This can result in the cat advertising their
availability by making loud sounds (‘calling’) as well as fighting,
wandering and marking their territory;
• Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
(FIV) are serious diseases spread through saliva. As neutered cats
20
are less likely to wander and fight, there is less likelihood of them
becoming infected or spreading these diseases to other cats; and
• neutering prevents the development of uterine and testicular cancer
and reduces the risk of female cats developing mammary tumours.
If you decide not to have your cat neutered and wish to breed from it,
there are a number of considerations to be taken into account. These
include:
• finding suitable homes for the kittens; and
• health screening to ensure that the parents do not carry any
inherited defects which may be passed on to their offspring.
You should carefully consider whether your cat is a good candidate
for breeding and you should discuss this with your veterinary
surgeon.
You will also need to consider the potential problem of unplanned
matings.
Help may be available from various charities who offer neutering at a
discounted rate for those on benefits or low incomes.
The pro’s and cons of whether to neuter your cat, as well as timing,
should be discussed with your veterinary surgeon to decide whether it
is in the best interest of your cat
“Cats living in the wild would eat many small rodents or birds during the day and so pet cats may prefer to eat small meals frequently ”
“.. you should cater to your pet’s preferences so far as you can”
I was jumped on on the forum a few times for promoting “free” feeding. Nice to see it restated by an authority.
On multiple litter boxes: Our two girl cats use one large, covered box between them, which is cleaned every day; they have no problem with this. I do put out separate food and water dishes, but the girls eat out of either, sometimes switching places mid-meal. The only reason I keep two is so they can eat at the same time. Had we more than one litterbox, I’m sure they would do the same thing with them.
On declawing: I agree that declawing is cruel and would never do it to one of mine.
On the indoor/outdoor controversy: You wouldn’t allow a young child to run loose outside alone, or play in the street, would you? Your kitties are as unaware of the dangers out there as a child is; they need to stay inside for their own safety. Parents and pet-parents both have to know when their charges’ wants need to be overruled for their own good. If you have a yard, you can put your cat on a leash with a HARNESS–never a collar–and allow her to explore while you supervise. Even this practice has its downside–they can pick up fleas and ticks from the grass, so they should be combed with a flea comb after each outing.
Wow, I keep reading about the U. K. being a “nanny state”, and I guess it is true. This is ridiculous.
And I, too, think the litter box thing is ludicrous. Oh, not that there shouldn’t be enough boxes! I have three boxes for two cats. But they are not sprinkled all over my home!
When the U.K. stops thinking that it is okay to let cats roam, I’ll look to them for enlightenment.
I had 2 cats. They got out (guest left them out accidentally). I got sick and couldn’t look for them. Both had a chip in their neck which the Humane Society in Maumee OH placed there. One found a home with someone a few doors down from me. The other was never found. I thought the chip would help. Maybe no one took her to the vet, I don’t know. I’m, very depressed a out this. I very thankful that at least one found a home and seens to be getting good care.
I don’t know where my comment is. My one lost cat has never been found. She has a chip placed in her neck from the Maumee Humane Society in Maumee OH, USA. I hope she found a good home somewhere. My other cat was adopted by a neighbor, while I was sick and they’d gotten out before I went to the hospital (guest accidentally left them out). Hope this one posts.