The Cat Registry

So it has been an hot debate item in the local area, the new cat licencing law for Halifax Regional Municipality. Effective April 1, all cats need to be licenced for a cost between $10-$30 per animal. With 6 cats, this means that my annual kitty bill has been increased by a minimum of $60 to a maximum of $180. I really wouldn't mind if there was a good cause coming out of it.

I took the time to read the purposed by-law while it was still being discussed. From what I gathered from the by-law, that the money goes towards building a death row for abandoned/lost/homeless animals. There is no money allocated for the enforcement of the registry and no money allocated for a spay/neuter program.

The board is presenting the by-law as "Responsible Pet Ownership" yet isn't doing anything to resolve the root cause of the problem, the uncontrolled breeding rate of feral and domestic cats.

I would happily pay for a spay/neuter program especially if it also had a trap/neuter/release program in tandem. This would resolve the uncontrolled breeding rate of animals as versus killing off the results. The SPCA charges (last I heard) $30 euthanasia fee when you drop off an animal. My last neutering cost $175 for the surgery and the pain meds which was completed by a "For-Profit" Vet Clinic. The average female cat can produce 3 litters of kittens in a year. Averaging a litter at 4-6, the euthanasia costs (by SPCA charges) would be between $360 and $540 per year. The average feral female produces kittens for 7 years... $2520 to $3780 costs that could be avoided by simply implementing a trap/spay/release program.

I am all for responsible pet ownership but this by-law will not resolve the problem. Responsible pet owners spay/neuter their animals. Animals aren't spayed/neutered due to the excessive cost of the procedure...

My prediction... responsible pet owners will register their cats. The rest of the cats will eventually be discarded onto the streets to produce more unwanted cats.