Pet owners in the UK are concerned about proposed new laws requiring pet owners to take special care of their four-legged friends.
Three separate codes of practice for dogs, cats and horses explain how people should treat their pets according to the 2006 Animal Welfare Act.
The Telegraph reports that a rebellion is growing over the proposed guidelines. Many pet owners view them as over-bearing and complicated. A violation could subject a pet owner to animal cruelty prosecution, which brings a hefty fine, and up to 12 months in jail.
The code of practice for cat welfare, which runs to 26 pages, warns owners to make sure upstairs windows and balconies are “cat-proofed”, and also tells people their pets should have a litter tray even if they have 24-hour access to the garden. Long-haired cats, like long-haired dogs, must be groomed once a day.
Get that? A litter box for every cat.
People live in households where they have to share a bathroom, but not the British cat that gets his or her own private litter box.
The guidelines are strict too about forbidding vegetarian cats. Plus, if the cat won’t go outside, then the owner must play with it. However, the rules forbid the cat owner from using hands or feet as that encourages aggressive behavior. Go figure that one out.
And what about the part where cats and dogs must be groomed once a day? That’s a nice idea, but is it realistic?
Beverley Cuddy, editor of the magazine Dogs Today, said: “I could be prosecuted under this. I have a long-haired dog and I don’t groom it every day. I don’t think it needs it. The dog is groomed every two weeks and that is more often than most.
Prepare to spend sometime in the big house, Beverley. You are a neglectful pet owner.
The dog guidelines, which run to 28 pages, also state that owners should avoid walking their pets during the hottest part of the day, should not feed them from the table or plate, and should be aware of “good dental hygiene”.
Don’t feed the dog from the plate? A lot of people find that unsanitary, but if someone gives a dog a plate, how bad is it for the dog? After all, the dog has “good dental hygiene” as dictated by the royal guidelines.
One other thing, a dog’s toys must be changed regularly so it doesn’t get bored.
