Feline Rights and Human Responsibilities

The Finnish legislation on animal protection ensures that all animals, cats included, are protected by the law. How the rights of cats are honored depends on us humans and the way we take of our responsibilities towards them.

The question of feline rights is best answered by listing the responsibilities people have towards cats. How so, you may ask. An example will clarify the issue.

A car is driving down the street and I'm about to step on the crosswalk. I'm entitled to cross the street and the driver has the obligation to give way. If I were to hold on to my rights but the driver chose to disregard his obligation, the result from my perspective would be unsatisfactory to say the least. I would be run over. If the driver adheres to his obligation, he will stop in front of the crosswalk and I get to enforce my right. Likewise, if people do not honor their responsibilities towards cats, the result for cats (and their rights?) is most unsatisfactory.

Safe Haven for Kitty

The law provides that cats are to be treated well and no unnecessary pain or suffering should be inflicted upon them. When taking care of cats, it's important to promote their health and to pay attention to their physiological and behavioral needs. Most cats wouldn't have a care in the world if only we humans followed these general principles established by our Parliament.

A suitable place for a cat has to be clean and have enough room and light. In general, the cat's needs should be taken into account. It is explicitly prohibited to keep cats in a way that causes unnecessary suffering. The home for cats should be designed, built and maintained in such a way that it is safe for its inhabitants and e.g. the chance of them running off is as small as possible. The place should not allow for cats to hurt themselves or endanger their health. Cats should also be provided with sufficient protection against cold, heat and wetness.

Safety issues are particularly important if the cat is allowed outside on its own. Busy streets or the yards of unfriendly neighbors should not be considered safe for cats. Cat owners allowing for such hazards demonstrate a lack of regard for their responsibilities. According to the hundreds of phone calls received by our association, the responsibility for the safety of cats is often ignored. It's not that these cat owners are bad people, but many sure seem to rather thoughtless.

Catering for Cats

Cats should always be provided with enough suitable food and enough to drink, among other things. It's important to make sure that the cat stays clean and to provide appropriate care should the cat become ill.

The Law for Animal Protection provides that cats are not to be abandoned or left without care. The Game Act also prohibits the abandonment of cats. According to the European pet regulations, homeless acts are defined as abandoned. Cat owners allowing their cats outside the vicinity of their home unsupervised also constitute abandonment.
It is still fairly common in Finland to leave cats wandering on their own without care, e.g. for the duration of the work day. Who's there to look after the cat's rights?

Treat with Care

The excessive discipline of cats or using unreasonable force is prohibited by the Law for Animal Protection.  This accounts for e.g. the violent treatment, harming or kicking of cats.

Cats should never be bound in such a way that causes unnecessary suffering. If a cat is tied to a leash, it should be constantly monitored.

Inflicting pain on cats is permitted only when treating an illness or other such condition. Painful operations such as sterilization, castration or tattooing should always be carried out by a veterinarian.

Collecting Strays

Each municipality is obligated to arrange a temporary accommodation for collected stray cats. Cats have to be taken care of and kept for a minimum of 15 days. If the owner doesn't reclaim the pet, the municipality decides the fate of the cat. It will be sold, given away or put down. The accommodation is intended for all stray cats regardless of whether they just wandered off, ran away or were abandoned. Only after a cat becomes wild is it no longer necessary to collect it.

A cat can be taken away from its owner and taken into custody as an emergency measure by animal protection authorities. This is sometimes necessary in order to ensure the safety of the cat. Cats taken into custody are not considered strays and cannot be reclaimed like runaway cats.

Authorities must consider arranging accommodation for cats taken into custody. If that is not possible or reasonable, the cat may be sold or put down. The accommodation can be an animal shelter or any other establishment willing to take care of the cat according to an agreement with the authorities. The duration of care is whatever is set in the agreement. The 15 day minimum does not apply to these situations.

The Last Journey

If a cat has to be put down, it must be done as quickly and painlessly as possible. Veterinarians are always permitted to put down a cat using an appropriate anesthetic or other agent. Apart from veterinarians, only individuals with sufficient skill and knowledge on the procedure are allowed to put down a cat.

Cats may only be put down by a direct shot into the brain or using a gas that causes an instant loss of consciousness followed by death. A kitten under three days old can be put down with a hard enough blow to the head to cause an instant death. In the past, cats used to be killed by drowning them in a bag. Thankfully, this has since been forbidden by the law.

Cats are entitled to a good life and a graceful death, and we all share the responsibility of making it possible.


_{Text: Risto Rydman}