A code for cats and rats

The new animal welfare requirements for the management of companion animals in temporary housing facilities, which will come into effect on October 1, cover almost every conceivable species, from cats to rats and fish.

National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) chair Dr Gwyneth Verkerk said the new code set out minimum standards and best practice guidelines, for the first time, for animals in temporary housing facilities such as boarding facilities and kennels, pet shops, animal welfare centres and pounds, grooming establishments and quarantine or isolation facilities.

The code would apply to companion cats and dogs, as well as companion animals that were not covered by an existing species-specific code of welfare, such as guinea pigs, rabbits, mice, rats, fish and turtles. Minimum standards and recommendations for best practice included the provision of food and water, temperature and lighting, air and water quality, behaviour, health and disease, sale or rehoming.

“The aim of the code is to encourage all those responsible for the welfare of these animals to adopt the highest standards of husbandry, care and handling. It is expected that the code will be used as a guide for best practice,” Dr Verkerk said.

It would also give pet owners assurance that the physical and health needs of their animals were being met.