MSPCA proposes compulsory microchipping of domestic cats

The Malta Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (MSPCA) has presented its proposals to the political parties, suggesting the compulsory microchipping of all domestic cats.

“Following the first six years of microchipping being compulsory for dogs, it has become easier to identify the owner of an animal that has escaped, and owners who can no longer keep their animals have to find an alternative to abandoning their pet on the street.”

MSPCA is also proposing breeding licences for all owners who choose to keep their cats and dogs intact. “Currently, the law only recognises individuals who intentionally breed more than four litters a year as breeders. Unfortunately, this means that those whose pets breed accidentally are not regulated and/or held responsible.”

Another proposal is for a sustained national strategy for population management of cats. “Despite the efforts of NGOs to provide free or subsidised neutering to cat colony carers, any potential improvement is being countered by cat colony carers who do not neuter all their cats, thus encouraging the animals to reproduce with greater success. An effective strategy for cat population management should involve intensive efforts to neuter all roaming cats region by region and restricting feeding activity to only those who can prove their commitment to neutering the whole colony.”

It is also proposing an efficient strategy to enforce animal laws that involve a well-trained workforce and infrastructure. “Staff working with animals should be trained in ethology to understand the needs of individual animals and species. An animal cruelty tribunal would ensure that cases of animal cruelty are handled quickly by staff that are sensitive to animal welfare. Such would ensure that cases of animal hoarding, ill-treatment and illegal surgical alterations to animals are accurately represented and prosecuted.”

The fifth and final proposal is the standardisation of methods and approach in managing cat populations and a proactive, open and evidence-based approach to working practices governing ear-tipping (doing this in line with international methods so that neutered cats are recognised easily including by tourists), age of neutering (neutering before puberty and from nine or 10 weeks, as is standard throughout the USA and Oceania and common in much of Western Europe), using expertise from outside Malta (including utilising fully the input of one of the world’s leading cat population management specialists, who is currently based in Malta).