Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: melysion on April 17, 2012, 20:08:53 PM

Title: cats right to roam
Post by: melysion on April 17, 2012, 20:08:53 PM

Hi there

I'm doing some research for a friend of mine - and I've read on many forums etc about cats having the right to roam in the UK protected by law.

Is this actually correct or just hearsay? Any thoughts much appreciated!!

Title: Re: cats right to roam
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on April 17, 2012, 20:17:52 PM

Page 4 on this Cats Protection document covers this, a fairly reliable source I would have thought...

http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/cat_care_leaflets/EG10-Catsandthelaw.pdf

Title: Re: cats right to roam
Post by: Hippykitty on April 17, 2012, 21:19:17 PM

I just read page 4 onwards and it mentions that there's a law regarding having too many cats. What is too many? It doesn't say. For example, are six cats still domestic pets or a cattery? The pdf mentions having to apply for change of use if "too many cats" are present.

How many are too many?

Sorry  :back topic:

Title: Re: cats right to roam
Post by: melysion on April 17, 2012, 21:33:40 PM

Ok thanks. I'm sure there was a victorian law that covered this too, but could be wrong ;-)

Title: Re: cats right to roam
Post by: Stuart on April 18, 2012, 00:29:30 AM

I'd say you can never have too many, as long as they don't make a nusiance with themselves I.E. Noise, smell's etc

Good person to ask would be Liz  ;)
She has a Few, but I don't think it's Too Many  :evillaugh:

Title: Re: cats right to roam
Post by: Liz on April 18, 2012, 00:33:26 AM

We checked with the Council when we moved here but as we own our home they weren't interested and we aren't a charity and its our family home so no problems

I have one or two cats more than the normal family and they have their own pets our 3 Border Collies Sky, Sunny and Mistral :rofl:

Title: Re: cats right to roam
Post by: Angiew on April 18, 2012, 00:45:25 AM

the local council is the one to check up on. some cite 12 as bing the most allowed in a home before it needs to register as a cattery.

Title: Re: cats right to roam
Post by: Dawn F on April 18, 2012, 09:16:53 AM

I heard 12 as well, but as Liz has proved it probably depends

Title: Re: cats right to roam
Post by: Liz on April 18, 2012, 10:39:02 AM

I spent a long time with the Council and Environmental health and they said as we are private home owners with no neighbours that don't have fields seperating us and all the cats and done there were no issues also we own the woods and paddocks they roam in

We also go to the tip on a weekly basis with cat litter which amounts to 1 bag of wood pellet, and half a bag of clumping clay and dispose of them in the garden waste as they are biodegradable

It depends on the Council and if you own/ or rent your home some councils only allow 2 cats and 1 dog in Scotland not sure about the rest of the UK

Title: Re: cats right to roam
Post by: Dawn F on April 18, 2012, 11:01:54 AM

I suppose the amount of land you have helps, my back garden would struggle with your gang!