Motorists who accidentally hit wandering cats and don’t report it could face a fine of up to £20,000.
A new ‘Cats Bill’ could mean drivers would be lawfully obliged to notify a local vet if they hit a cat and could be fined up to £20,000 if they don’t report it. The bill also requires all cats to be microchipped.
Rehman Chishti, Conservative MP for Gillingham and Rainham, wants people to think twice about leaving cats on the side of the road. He said:
“There are 11.1 million cats in the UK, and they are often regarded as a member of the family, bringing immense happiness and joy to their owners. This is why their welfare should be a priority at every level. It is because of this inequality in the law between cats and dogs that I decided to introduce my Cats Bill in Parliament to push for a change in the law, calling for the compulsory microchipping of cats, as well as the requirement to report a road traffic accident resulting in the injury or death of a cat to the relevant authorities.”
No consideration, however, is given by this Tory MP towards the negative effect of so many roaming cats upon the UK wildlife population. The cat population is growing everywhere. Alternatively, our UK wildlife is vanishing more and more each year as the countryside is destroyed by greedy councils and developers.
Some time ago the Mammal Society estimated that cats in the UK kill 27 million birds a year, with the most common being house sparrows, blue tits, blackbirds and starlings. This number is the amount of prey known to be caught and does not include items the animal didn’t bring home, or how many escaped but subsequently died.
Rehman Chishti claims that his bill aims to ‘further support’ cat welfare. However, it does not seem to deal with the frequently dismissed responsibilities of cat owners to keep their pets safe. It only deals with the ‘after the event’ of potential cat deaths on our busy roads due to traditional owner neglect!
Nevertheless, cat’s rights campaigners, who support this Tory-led bill, estimate that 230,000 cats are left to die at roadside each year in the UK.
Thankfully, some responsible cat owners are today happy to provide specialised fencing or enclosures to keep their pet safely at home, as with most dogs. However, the more reckless pet owners still allow their cats to leave the house and roam freely at will onto busy roads, where fatalities can of course transpire.
The proposed new Cat’s Bill will, therefore, target UK drivers with hefty fines who run over these roaming pets and fail to report the event.
However, some motorists are asking who will pay the vets bills, which could be thousands of pounds these days to repair the damage. Unless all cats have compulsory insurance and cat owners are obliged to have their cats under close control when off their own property then it simply won’t work. If accidents are the cat’s fault can the owners be sued for damage to the car and loss of income for the driver while he finds a vet?
Is this bill a good idea or just another ill-considered Tory proposal that would be unenforceable against the poor, beleaguered UK motorist?
If a driver doesn’t stop how can he/she be prosecuted, if the cat is wandering about on the road unchecked then is it not the owner’s problem?
250,000 dead cats a year on our streets equates with an incredible amount of irresponsible cat owners, who like the idea of owning one but in reality, open the door and then forget them.
The responsible cat owner must ensure that their pet does ‘not’ roam free and endanger road users. 250,000 dead cats a year on our streets also means the potential of serious human injuries in accidents or worse. Just one car driver swerving to avoid a cat may result in a head-on collision with another vehicle.
The same type of vital responsibility also ensures that cats are properly neutered so that they do not add to the appalling cat litter crisis that many cat charities are struggling to cope with at present. Unprincipled back-street kitten breeding is a serious concern too. Additional education is needed for irresponsible pet owners, according to animal experts.
The RSPCA stated
Tackling the cat overpopulation crisis
‘The cat population in the UK has reached crisis point. Despite subsidised neutering schemes from rescue organisations, more and more cats are coming into our care and less homes are taking in cats. Our centres are full and we’re left to pay expensive private boarding fees. Urgent action is needed to increase neutering rates and reduce the number of unlucky cats that end up in rescue centres.’
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/cats/health/neutering
A resident of Canning Road in Southport told OTS News:
“It’s just another money-grabbing Tory tax on the victimised UK driver. If irresponsible cat owners cannot look after their pets and stop them running under our cars then they should not be allowed to own them. This is not love, it’s total irresponsibility “
Some drivers are saying this will be a highly discriminating law against them to defend negligent cat owners who let their pet roam about, knowing they could venture onto a road and be killed by moving vehicles.
In the UK, dog owners are held responsible if their pet is run over by a car. The law specifically states that any person who allows a dog to run onto a road off the lead is guilty of an offence. The owner is also responsible for any veterinary costs and, potentially, for the cost of repairs to the vehicle involved. Cat’s that may also be running unattended across roads and causing accidents should also come under the same criterion.
Cats, like dogs, are domesticated pets and owners of cats must also be liable for any damages due to their neglect if an accident occurs. When all cat owners finally wake up to their responsibility toward keeping their cats safe at home, then and only then will their pets will be truly safe and such bills, as are being proposed, will become unnecessary.
More
https://www.otsnews.co.uk/mp-wants-landlords-purring-cat-deal/
https://www.otsnews.co.uk/visiter-risk-wrath-of-cat-lovers-with-shocking-kitten-sale-ad/
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