Should there be a Cat Licence ?

WIZE

Should there be a Licence for owning Cats aswell as Dogs

Where I live all Cats seem to be roaming the streets and ****ting everywhere

Then certain times of the year there are loads of Kittens wondering the Streets

Allgäuerin

YES

mathepac

I won't pay

Cherry Blossom

Absolutely, yes!

are you serious

Absolutely, they foul and make more of a mess than some dogs!!

WIZE

mathepac wrote: »

I won't pay

Why do you think people should licence their Dogs but not Cats

ziggy23

yes definitely. They get away with murder! Do people who keep pedigree cats needs licences?

TskTsk

WIZE wrote: »

Should there be a Licence for owning Cats aswell as Dogs

Where I live all Cats seem to be roaming the streets and ****ting everywhere

Then certain times of the year there are loads of Kittens wondering the Streets

No, but I do think that all pets should be spayed or neutered unless they're being kept for breeding purposes.

TskTsk

ziggy23 wrote: »

yes definitely. They get away with murder! Do people who keep pedigree cats needs licences?

No. What 'murder' is this that you refer to?

WIZE

TskTsk wrote: »

No. What 'murder' is this that you refer to?

Birds maybe

Cherry Blossom

ziggy23 wrote: »

yes definitely. They get away with murder! Do people who keep pedigree cats needs licences?

Cat's have no legal classification, no welfare rights, no-one is accountable for them or the control of their population. Of course pet rabbits, guinea pigs etc. don't either but they generally aren't left to fend for themselves en-mass. Poor cats!

mathepac

WIZE wrote: »

Why do you think people should licence their Dogs but not Cats

The reality is that most dog owners don't licence their dogs (see other thread). Fix that problem first and then we'll see if there's a need to licence cats

Captain Chaos

The thing is cats are free to roam, that's how they are. It's cruel to keep a cat penned in all the time. A dog can be managed as they don't scale walls and trees that are up to 7 times their height. Besides cats are clean and burry their mess where are dogs leave it everywhere.

ziggy23

TskTsk wrote: »

No. What 'murder' is this that you refer to?

I mean they can wander into people's garden as they wish, dig holes, do their business etc. I meant that as a joke I've 2 myself so I know what sort of divilment they get up to.

number10a

WIZE wrote: »

Should there be a Licence for owning Cats aswell as Dogs

Where I live all Cats seem to be roaming the streets and ****ting everywhere

Then certain times of the year there are loads of Kittens wondering the Streets

Because the dog licence was the best thing ever to stop dogs from shìtting. :rolleyes:

are you serious

Cats bury their mess.... tell that to the cats in my estate...!! They are free to roam, free to breed, free to eat pet rabbits in your neighbours back gardens, sure they are only cats!!

WIZE

Captain Chaos wrote: »

Besides cats are clean and burry their mess where are dogs leave it everywhere.

Cool . Can you send the cats from your Area up to mine to teach the local cat how to Burry their crap

bryaner

WIZE wrote: »

Cool . Can you send the cats from your Area up to mine to teach the local cat how to Burry their crap

Lol I spat me tea all over me pc, I'll send you the bill..:D

Mo60

In the UK neither cats nor dogs need to be licenced and there is less of a problem than here in animals being pts. What purpose would be served and how would it be regulated?

charlemont

Well maybe there should be a human license !! Maybe the cats and dogs are sick of humans everywhere.

evilmonkee

Yes.

BUT, I feel that the licencing system needs to be changed.
It should include microchipping as standard and should be implemented from when they are babies. Possibly making it illegal to give away / take / sell / adopt etc. a pet who is not microchipped.
If your pet is not microchipped pay a hefty fine or lose your pet.

I realize it would be virtually impossible to implement, but so would forcing licencing for cats (unless the country will employ cat-wardens , catch random cats off the street etc. )

mathepac

On another site I have campaigned for licensing dog owners and microchipping dogs (or horses etc.).

Pet owners to be tested on the basic rules and responsibilities of ownership and pet first-aid, etc - a bit like the theory test for learner drivers with refresher education courses and tests every 3 to 5 years, paid for by the owner of course.

WIZE

mathepac wrote: »

On another site I have campaigned for licensing dog owners and microchipping dogs (or horses etc.).

Pet owners to be tested on the basic rules and responsibilities of ownership and pet first-aid, etc - a bit like the theory test for learner drivers with refresher education courses and tests every 3 to 5 years, paid for by the owner of course.

I still dont get this

Are you a responsible owner for letting your Cats out to wonder the Streets for days on end to kill wildlife and to Piss and **** in everyones Gardens as its no concern to you

the way I see it to be honest is for every Dog I see dead at the side of the road I would see 20 or more Cats

Is this being responsible

TooManyDogs

I think all licencing laws should be reviewed, and cats should be included. I think the dogs and cats should have to be microchipped so if a stray animal is picked up by a warden and traced through microchip to an owner and the owner fined for having a loose animal. The pound system should be extended to cats too so feral cats can be dealt with, the massive number of feral cats needs to be controlled. ALL animals like to wander, but as their responsible owners it's our responsibity to control them and prevent wandering, it's time more cat owners started being responsible for their pets.

excaliburhc

first yes - i think all pet owners should be held responsible for their pets.

however i would more go with they need to be chipped then anything else ,

people have to remember cats are not native to Ireland - all and any strays are because of us.


however i will point out that cats are more independent then dogs - they stray further , go anywhere their curiousity dictates .

mathepac

WIZE wrote: »

I still dont get this ...

It's not my responsibility to teach you to "read before responding"

mathepac wrote: »

... Pet owners to be tested on the basic rules and responsibilities of ownership and pet first-aid, etc ...

See what I did there? I bolded the key words you neglected to read and absorb in your rush to post indignantly; or do you think that Pet = Dog and not cat, rabbit, parrot, goldfish, etc.? Personally I think Pet is a generic term applicable to most animals in a domestic situation.

cnocbui

No - because the status quo will continue to annoy dog lovers who are as inferior a species as their pets are.

syklops

cnocbui wrote: »

No - because the status quo will continue to annoy dog lovers who are as inferior a species as their pets are.

Clever.

[/SARCASM]

WIZE

mathepac wrote: »

It's not my responsibility to teach you to "read before responding"


See what I did there? I bolded the key words you neglected to read and absorb in your rush to post indignantly; or do you think that Pet = Dog and not cat, rabbit, parrot, goldfish, etc.? Personally I think Pet is a generic term applicable to most animals in a domestic situation.

mathepac wrote: »

I won't pay

So you will be paying a cat licence if it is introduced ?

TooManyDogs

excaliburhc wrote: »

however i will point out that cats are more independent then dogs - they stray further , go anywhere their curiousity dictates .

I strongly disagree, dogs have the same strong wandering instinct and will wander miles if given the chance, they're just not generally given that chance. The idea that all dogs are home bodies simply isn't true

Ellis Dee

Maybe it would be better to have some kind of licensing system for humans who want to even think about having pets. Only people who can demonstrate their suitability to take proper care of an animal should be licensed to get one.:mad:

I write this in anger at the cruelty I have so often witnessed in Ireland, where too may people are just too thick, mean, irresponsible and stupid to take proper care of the pets they acquire on a whim.

For them a pet is a toy, not a creature with needs and feelings.:(

On the night of the All-Ireland football final last September, I went for a walk down a quiet country road near my house in Laois. Near a forest path, a kitten - about four months old - came mewing towards me and rubbed itself against my feet. It was getting dark and I took it back to my house, certain it had strayed from one of the neighbours' houses. I gave it a slice of ham, which it devoured, and then at least ten more. It was ravenous, purred all the time and followed me everywhere.

I cycled to every house in the area the following day, but no one was missing a kitten. Several people opined it had just been thrown out of a car by someone wanting to get rid of it; they said it was common. I asked about rescue places, but was told the prospects of re-homing were slight and that the animal would probably be put to sleep.

So I fed it and cared for as long as I could, seven weeks, before I had to leave Ireland, in the hope that it would grow stronger and able to survive on its own. I had a cat flap put into a shed door and arranged for someone to come and leave food a few times a week. Then, however, my daughter in Dublin decided to adopt it. Now he is seven months old, a beautiful friendly cat, completely house trained, has had his operation and can look forward to a good life. But he is a rare lucky one.

mathepac

WIZE wrote: »

So you will be paying a cat licence if it is introduced ?

God help us all but you seem to suffer from scotomata in relation to my posts.

WIZE

mathepac wrote: »

God help us all but you seem to suffer from scotomata in relation to my posts.

ok you can clear it up for me

as by law all dogs should be licenced .

could you please tell me your reason why you believe there should be no Cat licence.

or

Should there be no licence for animals

are you serious

mathepac wrote: »

God help us all but you seem to suffer from scotomata in relation to my posts.

WIZE wrote: »

ok you can clear it up for me
as by law all dogs should be licenced .
could you please tell me your reason why you believe there should be no Cat licence.
or
Should there be no licence for animals

MEOWWWWWWWW

you 2 need to calm down, its Christmas!!!

WIZE

garkane wrote: »

MEOWWWWWWWW

you 2 need to calm down, its Christmas!!!

lol

I'm just trying to understand the point of view on having a cat licence

I have dogs but I love cats too.

I've nothing against Mat. I'm just interested

Manach

No - If the generation of waste was the main criteria for a licence, then Leinster house would be a prime source.

mathepac

garkane wrote: »

MEOWWWWWWWW

you 2 need to calm down, its Christmas!!!

Why are you here -- you and your cousin have bleedin' dogs Yizzer gangin' up on me. Help :eek:

mathepac

Ellis Dee wrote: »

Maybe it would be better to have some kind of licensing system for humans who want to even think about having pets. ...

Great idea, just that little bit too late; see my earlier post which you (and other posters who shall remain nameless WIZE) can't seem to see, Boo Hoo! Poor Me!

cnocbui

WIZE wrote: »

ok you can clear it up for me

as by law all dogs should be licenced .

could you please tell me your reason why you believe there should be no Cat licence.

or

Should there be no licence for animals

Three incidents I have personal knowledge of:

Two large dogs in a muddy boggy field harrassing a mare and her foal who were floundering in boggy ground and not able to retaliate or escape. The mare and foal were terrified and I do not know if or what harm they came to, nor would the terrain allow me to intervene. Had they suffered harm and if I was their owner, I would have wanted a means of tracing their owner/s after shooting them.

Someone I know personally had a small pack of dogs maim and kill 54 lambs and ewes. most of them were mauled so badly they had to be shot out of kindness. Again, a means of tracing the owners would be of benefit. The guards and local dog warden were called but there was no means of identifying the owner of the one dog that had managed to be shot. The warden did patrol the village the remaining dogs were seen making for and issued a handful of fines for animals found without licenses.

A friend and I found a ewe that had had its face literally ripped off by two dogs which took off. We had to cut it's throat.

Then there is damage done to cars that hit large dogs that roam.

Cats do not cause such problems and so there is not the same necessity for tracing their owners.

Overature

**** off with license

are you serious

Cnocbui you have given reasons there for what you believe is the reason why dogs should be licenced fair enough they are your views..

The thread's title is; Should there be a cat licence? My interpretation of your answer to this is no because a cat doesn't pose a threat to livestock... am I reading that right?

Jimmy Garlic

My dog ''died'' years ago;). Hell will freeze over before I pay for a cat license.

paddyandy

Try putting that idea into reality....Wardens sitting in vans with binoculars watching to see which cat goes into which house...pursuing the cat and owner..denials...courts clogged up enough as they are . Have them doctored more cheaply would be more practical.

Lawliet

I always assumed the dog license's were as cnocbui outlined; because dogs do a lot of damage. Unchecked dogs can attack animals and people, but wild cats generally don't attack anything bigger than themselves unless cornered. Dirty cats are disgusting but I don't see how a license would solve this problem since culling a large number of feral cats generally isn't considered a good idea, better to trap, neuter and return them.
Someone mentioned before about owners stopping their cats from wandering, I'm genuinely curious how someone would go about this, you can't keep an outdoor cat inside they'll go nuts before long, there isn't a wall high enough that can prevent a determined cat from escaping nor I have I ever found a collar strong enough to survive an angry cat's claws. You could train a kitten to accept these things, but not an adult cat. Besides I don't see the sense of having wardens trying to catch clean, neutered cats who have owners and aren't going to do any harm.

I'd be happy to license my cats if there was any point to it, any realistic goal, or benefit to either cats or the general public, but I haven't seen one convincing argument for it.

Cherry Blossom

Lawliet wrote: »

I'd be happy to license my cats if there was any point to it, any realistic goal, or benefit to either cats or the general public, but I haven't seen one convincing argument for it.

My cousin spent 2 weeks in intensive care when he was 2 years old due to a severe allergic reaction to toxocariasis caused by his neighbours un-wormed cat using his sandbox as a toilet, that's a lot more damage than any dog has ever caused any of my family members. Cat proofing a garden is relatively simple and can be done without having to incur massive costs, I know because my uncle put up DIY cat nets to keep them out after this incident happened. People don't know this can be done because it hasn't occurred to them to look into it.

We also had a feral cat hanging around here for over 15 years, it lept out of hedges and clawed my nan's face to shreds on more than one occasion, I don't know if it has been poisoned or had some other condition that made it crazy but it was. Feral cats are regularly trapped for neutering purposes, I don't see how tame ones would be more difficult to catch.

Because I live in a rural area a lot of people drive jeeps, I've seen more than one engine wrecked as a result of a cat climbing inside it. The benefit to cats is that they don't get abducted by idiots for purpose of providing them with entertainment, they don't get eaten by dogs, poisoned, shot, attacked by other cats. The benefit to the owner is that their cat doesn't suddenly disappear never to come home and they never have to scrape the remains pet off the road. The benefit to me is that I can let my dog out in my own garden without having to remove disgusting cat faeces from her hair.

Lawliet

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

My cousin spent 2 weeks in intensive care when he was 2 years old due to a severe allergic reaction to toxocariasis caused by his neighbours un-wormed cat using his sandbox as a toilet, that's a lot more damage than any dog has ever caused any of my family members.

In order to justify a license of this sort the danger to the public from incidents like this would have to statistically significant -now I don't know whether they are or not, if they are then you've made valid point. Isolated incidents while very unfortunate and tragic, don't necessarily warrant this kind of response as there'll always be at least one example where that species has seriously harming a human.

Cat proofing a garden is relatively simple and can be done without having to incur massive costs, I know because my uncle put up DIY cat nets to keep them out after this incident happened. People don't know this can be done because it hasn't occurred to them to look into it.

Not everyone lives in a place where "cat nets" would be a realistic solution.

Because I live in a rural area a lot of people drive jeeps, I've seen more than one engine wrecked as a result of a cat climbing inside it. The benefit to cats is that they don't get abducted by idiots for purpose of providing them with entertainment, they don't get eaten by dogs, poisoned, shot, attacked by other cats. The benefit to the owner is that their cat doesn't suddenly disappear never to come home and they never have to scrape the remains pet off the road. The benefit to me is that I can let my dog out in my own garden without having to remove disgusting cat faeces from her hair.

Forgive me for being stupid, but I don't see how a license stops half of this? Most of this seems to rely on the ability of the owner to stop their cat from wandering -which there is no universal solution to- and therefore addresses none of the problems with stray or wild cats.

Cherry Blossom

Lawliet wrote: »

Forgive me for being stupid, but I don't see how a license stops half of this? Most of this seems to rely on the ability of the owner to stop their cat from wandering -which there is no universal solution to- and therefore addresses none of the problems with stray or wild cats.

What happens currently with dogs, livestock or anything that has licensing in place is that the owner of the animal is liable for any damage caused by that animal, if they are not controlling that animals behaviour then action can be taken on this. Problematic cats can not be dealt with this way which often leads to the person that has the problem dealing with the problem in their own way. Would you be happy enough for someone to do this if your cat was causing someone a problem? What would you do if a neighbour knocked on your door, told you their child was allergic to cats and asked you to ensure your pet stays off their property?

Jimmy Garlic

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

What would you do if a neighbour knocked on your door, told you their child was allergic to cats and asked you to ensure your pet stays off their property?

I'd tell him to get real.

ebbsy

They should have a stupidity licence for ministers, they would rake in enough cash for ten anglos.

Scruffles

have long thought there shoud be a licence for ANY pet,whether its a mouse,a hamster...right down to a horse...
there shoud be a test required on basic animal care knowledge to show that the person is mentaly capable and sensible enough to take care of the animal.

we dont have any pet licences over here in england,but both here and ireland it shoud be a smaller sum charged-possibly given to pet charities to pay for the upkeep of the animals that end up being rehomed.
they shoudnt charge a lot for a licence,the money shoud be going on the pet.

its ridiculous that humans can have animals in their care and not be checked over it,thats why we have so many people incapable of looking after animals and letting it get to the stage where the animal suffers, and also why we have abuse,neglect and fatal incidents from those who knowingly allow/cause it to happen.

the downside to licencing is the underground buying of animals,it just makes the unsuitables end up buying a pet then often keeping them well hidden from the public which woud make yet more abuse and neglect go un noticed.
itd also end up with yet more animals being abandoned or slaughtered because they dont want to get licences or know they woudnt pass for whatever reason.


so whilst am all for licencing-am also against the bad effects it woud have.

Lawliet

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

What happens currently with dogs, livestock or anything that has licensing in place is that the owner of the animal is liable for any damage caused by that animal, if they are not controlling that animals behaviour then action can be taken on this. Problematic cats can not be dealt with this way which often leads to the person that has the problem dealing with the problem in their own way. Would you be happy enough for someone to do this if your cat was causing someone a problem? What would you do if a neighbour knocked on your door, told you their child was allergic to cats and asked you to ensure your pet stays off their property?

You're still over looking my main point, if my cats were causing problems there's actually nothing I could do to control their behaviour; I live on a large farm that provides no physical way of stopping cats from wandering. Over the years our place has become the unofficial rescue centre for any stray or abandoned cats, most are mistrustful of humans and go wild if enclosed. They're all neutered, regularly wormed and the sick/ injured ones get taken to the vet, but beyond looking out for their health and welfare I have no control over them, nor am I creative enough to think of anyway of restricting their movements that wouldn't be cruel. The license wouldn't change this, it seems to me it would just prompt more healthy cats to be put down, which helps nothing; their territory would just be taken over by another cat, probably one that's feral and carrying diseases. This is why animal welfare organisations prefer the trap neuter return programs I mentioned earlier; it's better to have a 'clean' cat controlling an area than a diseased one.

Basically cats can't be trained like dogs, they can't be restricted like dogs and livestock, licensing them like dogs and livestock is going to create problems. My main worry is that these problems would cause owners to mistreat their cats by keeping them enclosed 24 hours a day, abandoning them, or just putting them down to avoid potential costs, not necessary because they're cruel or bad owners, but simply because they've given up after failing to force a cat to behave like a dog.
The thing is cats breed like rabbits, and when there's so many wild cats, so few places for them in shelters and not nearly enough funding to catch, neuter and vaccinate them, introducing something that could result in healthy cats being put down is just not something I could support.