Animal welfare activists want mandatory chipping of cats in Estonia
Under the updated Animal Protection Act, microchipping dogs will become mandatory nationwide, but the requirement will not extend to cats. Animal welfare advocates are not satisfied with the decision, as cats make up about 90 percent of shelter animals.
Across the seven regions served by shelters operator NGO Varjupaikade MTÜ, there are about 500 cats and only 25 dogs in shelters throughout Estonia. Dogs that have wandered from home are usually found thanks to their microchips and returned to their owners.
"We don't have a problem with stray dogs in Estonia, but we do have a very serious problem with stray cats. We're definitely talking about thousands of homeless cats. If we genuinely want to solve the issue of cats — or stray animals in general — we should start with cats," said Anni Anette Mõisamaa, communications manager for Varjupaikade MTÜ.
According to animal welfare advocates, microchipping cats would ease the burden on shelters and save money for local governments, as they are responsible for covering the costs of keeping an animal in a shelter for two weeks. Several municipalities, including Tallinn, have already introduced mandatory microchipping. The current Animal Protection Act does not require the nationwide microchipping or registration of either dogs or cats. The draft of the new law includes only the obligation to microchip dogs.
"We will definitely continue working with animal welfare organizations to ensure cats are also included in the legislation. Just last week, the European Parliament voted on a law regulating the trade and traceability of cats and dogs, and that legislation also includes mandatory microchipping and registration for both species," said Geit Karurahu, board member of the Estonian Animal Protection Society.
Opponents of mandatory cat microchipping point to the additional costs involved. In the case of cat colonies, it would also be legally difficult to determine ownership and decide in whose name the animals should be registered.
Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Johannes Terras (Eesti 200) said he understands the need for cat microchipping.
"I think the sticking point is not in the regulation itself, but in the financial aspect. I've seen estimates suggesting that microchipping all unchipped cats in Estonia would cost around €3 million," Terras said.
The draft legislation also includes provisions to establish a unified pet registry and ban keeping dogs on chains.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Johanna Alvin
