Just wondering after reading another question about collars. Dogs are required by law to wear a collar with an ID and have a certain amount of protection. Cats aren't required to wear collars and seem to have very little protection. Should the law change so that cats should wear collars in return for greater legal protection (i.e. reporting it to the police if you run a cat over)?
2007-10-04 03:25:38 · 29 answers · asked by ♥ Divine ♥ 6 in Pets ➔ Cats
I could have rephrased this a bit better and asked, "should cats be legally required to wear a collar in order to give them more legal protection"?
2007-10-05 02:53:32 · update #1
im undecided about this one.i stay out in the wild and when i got my first cat i put a collar on it .one day it went missing and i search for weeks for it but didnt find it.when the winter came and all the shrubs etc shed their leaves i found him.he had got caught up in the shrubery and hanged himself so from now on no collars,but i suppose its up to the individuals to decide on this one
2007-10-04 03:55:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I definately think so. Cats are amazing creatures that so many people adore, but so many cats also get lost, stolen and hurt, and nobody can do anything about it. A cat is just as loved as a dog, and if its run over should be treated the same.
I had two beautiful kittens a while ago, and after two years both had magically disappeared. I don't think they hit by cars, but maybe stolen, or deliberatley hurt. I hate not knowing, and knowing that some evil bast**d out there is probably responsible and laughing about it.
They definately deserve more protection, and to be taken more seriously.
There is a chance of them snagging on branches I suppose, but I have never heard of a cat doing that. If it was an elasticated collar, surely the cat would slip through it?
There's far more benefits than risks, if your cat is one that likes to wander. If it never leaves the garden then its less imporant. A collar makes a cat look like it belongs to someone, deters thieves, and can hold information like phone number, and a tag to say its microchipped- there's no point having microchip if noone knows it's there, or bothers to scan it.
2007-10-05 03:12:53 · answer #2 · answered by skyespirit86 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it should be a legal requirement for cats to wear collars. It's too dangerous. Cats roam because it's in their nature, dogs are usually under the control of their owner when they are out and about, whether on a lead or not. You can't train a cat the same way you can a dog and too many cats have died being strangled by their collars.
Any decent human being would report an accident involving ANY animal, especially a cat, dog or any other potentially pet animal, and ideally take it to a treatment or rescue centre. Pet owners who have lost their animals are grateful to know that their beloved pet was fatally injured than never know its fate.
As for a change in the law... great idea but there's no way to enforce it, even if you make all the animals wear collars it doesn't guarantee that the driver at fault will report the accident.
2007-10-04 04:13:15 · answer #3 · answered by miss_blue_47 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is a nice idea (the greater legal protection bit) but a cat's behavior means that it can be very difficult keeping a collar on one.
I have three cats, one wears a collar quite happily, one always gets his snagged in the woods and comes home with one front leg through it, and the third simply works at the catch to loosen it and pulls it off over her head.
The cat that keeps getting his caught up now doesn't wear one after he got BOTH legs through it and couldn't breath properly as it stopped his ribcage expanding (and yes, this did have a safety catch on it - it got jammed).
Dog collars are different - a dog has the strength to pull himself free so the collars have a proper catch. Cats would just choke to death, so the collar needs to come free.
As long as there are no penalties for your cat NOT having a collar (ie it is captured and put down as an unwanted stray) then I think this is a good idea.
BTW all my cats are microchipped because of the problems in keeping a collar on them.
2007-10-04 03:40:35 · answer #4 · answered by AJS 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they make dogs wear the collars cause they can bite and all that so people want to get the info. Cats really wont do that but no it shouldn't be legal cause they have the new law that you have to get them tagged know the chip inside them. you just call the police and they should find away to scan the animal. Cats don;t stay outside most of them time that's why also there indoor pets as in dogs not so much. So they run off and other things like that.
2007-10-04 03:35:04 · answer #5 · answered by Wyldfire 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It _is_ legal for cats to wear collars - i.e., there's no law against it.... but whether it should be compulsory is another matter. There are many arguments for and against the wearing of collars, some of which are mentioned above. Personally I think they should since it is then immediately clear that a cat is 'owned'.
Re whether cats are considered vermin... this might be true of feral cats, but a domestic cat (i.e., a 'pet') is 'property' and there are laws against damaging another person's property.
Recently, some one in an East Midlands town was prosecuted under the new 'animal ownership laws' for being cruel to a pet rat... so imagine the view that would be taken if old Mrs Blogg's cat were to be deliberately targeted by some cruel individual.
And any one who knowingly runs over an obviously domestic pet and leaves it lying injured, is not only a rather callous person, but might be exposing him/herself to prosecution for causing 'unnecessary suffering'.
Incidentally, there are an estimated 9 million cats in the UK so you are always going to be near one. Hence it's difficult to avoid them. One other small point - if you have neighbours with cats then in many ways you are fortunate because, on average, cat owners tends to be less aggressive and more neighbourly.
2007-10-04 04:18:26 · answer #6 · answered by avian 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. Cats naturally are more feral and wander in a way most domesticated dogs dont. The chances of them hanging themselves from a bush or branch would be magnified if they had to wear a collar by law...it would be a disaster and many cats would be killed simply prowling around doing what comes naturally....not a good idea. Chips however SHOULD be compulsary for EVERY animal.
2007-10-04 04:31:21 · answer #7 · answered by celebrityhandbags 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no because unlike dogs cats climb trees and could slip and hang by there collar and die so know they shouldnt have to wear them its upto the owner but you should still have to tell the police if you run a cat over because at the end of the day no matter what animal you run over if you just leave it struggling off in pain its animal cruelty which you can get done for
2007-10-04 21:38:54 · answer #8 · answered by MARIE S 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've had quite a few cats (that eventually died of old age), and I never put a collar on them. I was told that because they like to climb trees if they were wearing a collar, it could easily catch on to something and they could easily be strangled.
2007-10-04 04:37:33 · answer #9 · answered by Katrina 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We have a cat that repeatedly loses its collars. They can't be too tight, and have to easily come off to stop them being strangled if it gets caught when climbing etc...
But yes, it should be law that anyone who runs over a cat should report it.
2007-10-04 03:31:40 · answer #10 · answered by ? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋