Cats have a different status to dogs in Irish society and under Irish law. To find out more, listen to this podcast.
Cats in Ireland
Pet cats are well protected in Irish law. Under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2014, cats, just like dogs, are “protected animals”, which are defined as “any creatures in the possession or under the control of a human being”, whether permanently or on a temporary basis.
This means that if you are looking after a cat, you have a legal duty to protect its welfare. You must take all necessary steps to ensure that the cat is kept and treated in a manner which safeguards its health and welfare. You have to provide adequate food, water and shelter, and you must take precautions to protect the health of the cat. It’s against the law to allow a cat to fall ill and to fail to seek treatment. You also have a responsibility to ensure that you do not leave a cat unattended without making adequate provisions for its welfare. Finally, it’s an offence to abandon an animal. You cannot just “stray” a cat because you don’t want it any more.
In contrast, if a cat is living “in a wild state”, then they are no longer classified as a “protected animal”. This is logical: by definition, it is impossible for any animal in the wild to be under control of a human being. Who could be held accountable for housing, feeding and caring for a free-living cat in the wild? However, although feral cats are not “protected”, this only means that nobody has a duty to care for them. Feral cats are still protected from cruelty, just like all other animals in Ireland.
To spell it out explicitly, under Irish law, any act, or failure to act, that causes unnecessary suffering or endangers the health and welfare of any animal is an offence.
Regardless of their legal status, the best answer for feral cat colonies is for them to be managed properly by humans, with Trap-Neuter-Release schemes to control population levels so that there’s enough food and shelter for all. To find out more about how these schemes work, visit https://feralcatsireland.org
Questions from listeners
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