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Code of
Conduct for cat owners
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You may have
noticed
articles
recently in
the press
about the
'pet police'
and 'animal
rights' in
relation to
cat
keeping.
These refer
to
government
guidelines
or Codes of
Conduct
which are
being put
together as
part of the
secondary
legislation
which goes
with the new
Animal
Welfare Bill
(which is
expected to
clear
Parliament
in the next
few months).
Of course,
in order to
catch the
eye of the
reader,
headlines
are often
rather
extreme.
However, for
any
responsible
cat owner
there is
nothing to
fear and
perhaps even
something to
learn.
FAB has been
involved in
the working
group which
drew up the
cat care
code with
DEFRA and we
are
delighted
with the
content. Not
only does it
cover
physical
care, but it
touches on
cats'
behavioural
needs too.
From the
obvious
concepts
such as
'cats cannot
be
vegetarians'
to the less
well
understood
'cats are
not pack
animals like
dogs', it
looks at how
we live with
our pet
cats.
Journalists
seem
surprised
that it will
be a long
document,
but in order
to provide
good
information
it needs to
be set out
clearly and
explained
properly.
There is no
point in
saying, for
example,
that cats
need
'adequate'
toilet
facilities
but not to
explain what
this means -
it helps
nobody.
Those
organisations
and
charities
that try to
protect our
animals and
have to deal
with the
consequences
of
irresponsible
pet
ownership
have been
frustrated
by the
present law,
under which
an animal
will have to
have been
badly
treated
before
anything can
be done to
help it.
Under the
new
legislation
there will
be a 'duty
of care' to
look after
our animals
which should
allow
something to
be done
before this
extreme has
been
reached.
The new
codes will
have to
guide owners
as to what
is needed
and hence
will have to
be detailed
and
comprehensive.
Animal
organisations
have worked
long and
hard to get
the
government
to take an
interest in
pet care -
we should be
delighted
that the
needs of our
cats are
being looked
at clearly
and sensibly
based on the
expertise of
a number of
pet and
veterinary
organisations,
FAB being
one of
these. |
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press release
Dog flea treatments
killing cats
The
lives of hundreds of pet
cats in the UK are being put
in danger by well meaning
owners using flea products
intended only for use on
dogs according to The Feline
Advisory Bureau (FAB), a cat
welfare charity. FAB has
joined forces with the
Veterinary Poisons
Information Service (VPIS),
part of the Medical
Toxicology Unit at Guy’s and
St Thomas’ hospitals, to
once again warn owners of
the dangers of using dog
flea preparations on cats
following the publication of
a recent report in a feline
veterinary journal.
The
VPIS report highlighted the
lethal risks of permethrin
based dog spot-on treatments
being inappropriately
applied to cats. Toxic
effects can also occur from
cats coming into close
physical contact with dogs
in the same house (through
sharing beds or grooming)
that have been appropriately
treated with permethrin.
These products are available
in pet shops and many
supermarkets, and have been
mistakenly or unwittingly
used on cats, frequently
causing severe illness and
even death. Cats poisoned
with permethrin may need 2-3
days of intensive veterinary
treatment to aid recovery.
Permethrin is one of a group
of insecticidal compounds
called pyrethroids. These
have widespread use in pet
flea treatments,
ant-killers, and other
products for control of pest
insects. Although
pyrethroids are considered
to have a low mammalian
toxicity, cats are the
exception. Pyrethroids are
toxic to cats because of
metabolic deficiencies found
only in felines.
The
report is a review of 286
cases reported to VPIS where
such canine spot-on
permethrin preparations have
been used on cats. Of these
cases, 97 per cent of the
cats had signs of poisoning,
88 per cent had twitching or
convulsions and 10.5 per
cent of the cats died or
were euthanased. Although
these data are startling,
the VPIS feels that they are
an under-representation of
the scale of the problem.
The veterinary press often
receives letters on the
topic from vets in practice
and the Veterinary Medicines
Directorate (VMD)
highlighted the problem in
2000 – ‘These spot-on
products are sold through UK
pet stores or supermarkets
and veterinary surgeons
should be alert to the
possibility of being
presented with feline cases’
(Gray, Veterinary Record
147, p556).
There
is no need to use permethrin
containing products to
control fleas on cats. There
are many different ‘spot on’
medications formulated
specifically for cats, none
of which contain permethrin.
The active ingredients in
these are varied, as are
their mechanisms of action.
They also have differing
availability in that some
can be purchased in
supermarkets, pet shops and
agricultural merchants,
others may be obtained only
from vets.
FAB
and VPIS are urging cat
owners to check very
carefully when treating
their cats with spot-on
products. Owners should
ensure they do not
use ones designed for dogs
and especially not
ones that contains
permethrin. Advice should be
sought from a vet or a
qualified professional on
the most appropriate, safe
and effective products to
use on cats. FAB and VPIS
will also be urging
manufacturers to ensure
that the warning on dog
products is larger and more
noticeable and to put them
onto the product itself as
well as the packaging so
that owners are less likely
to mistakenly use them on
cats.
‘Accidents inevitably occur,
but it's not enough for the
manufacturers of these
products to say there is a
warning on the packet. It
must be visible,
understandable, and printed
on both the packet and
dispenser if the incidence
of these serious poisonings
is to be reduced. They have
a responsibility to their
customers, and both have a
duty to the animals under
their care’, points out Alex
Campbell, Manager of the
VPIS.
Cat
owners can find more
information on the different
flea products available and
how they work by going to
www.fabcats.org/owners/fleas.
Copies of the paper (Sutton
NM, Bates N and Campbell A
(2007)
Clinical effects and outcome
of feline permethrin spot-on
poisonings reported to the
Veterinary Poisons
Information Service (VPIS)
London, JFMS 9 (4), 335 –
340)
can be
found by clicking on the
following link:
www.fabcats.org/esfm/permethrin.pdf
The
Veterinary Poisons
Information Service (VPIS)
is part of the Medical
Toxicology Unit at Guy’s and
St Thomas’ NHS Foundation
Trust. The VPIS is a
subscription only service
available to all vet
practices in the
United Kingdom. The VPIS
provide information and
advice on all types of toxic
exposures in animals, 24
hours a day.
FAB is
a charity dedicated to
promoting the health and
welfare of cats through
improved feline knowledge,
to help us all care better
for our cats. For more
information contact FAB,
Taeselbury, High Street,
Wiltshire SP3 6LD, telephone
0870 742 2278, or go on-line
to
www.fabcats.org
Produced by Karen
Bessant, FAB Press
Officer
kbessant@aol.com
THE WELFARE OF ANIMALS
DURING TRANSPORT:
CONSULTATION ON THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF EU
REGULATION 1/2005
Back in June 2006 we became
aware of the above
consultation document which
was dealing with how the UK
would implement the existing
EU regulation from January
2007. The consultation
period had been notified to
organisations in May but it
appeared that the
information had not been
passed on to the people it
would actually affect and
the consultation period was
due to end on the 31st
July. We contacted the
Kennel Club and they had
formed an opinion that it
didn't affect dogs, despite
an estimate that over 4000
dog establishments in
England were noted as
possibly being affected.
They had not had much
contact with DEFRA on the
subject.
Potentially this was
indicating that any animals
being transported without a
licence would need to have
the ratio of one handler to
one 'entire' animal when
being transported to any
shows over a distance of
65km (40 miles). The idea
was that an 'entire' animal
could be considered as being
shown as part of an
'economic activity' whether
directly or indirectly. On
further investigations it
also implied that these
animals could only be
transported to the vet under
veterinary advice. Any
journeys over 8 hours would
also be subject to further
restrictions as suitability
of the vehicle would also
have to be demonstrated
before a licence would be
issued. This of course
would not come into play as
long as the ratio of one
handler to one 'entire'
animal was practiced.
As we are all aware, it is
normal for exhibitors to
travel to the show on their
own with more than that
ratio and for cats, these
restrictions seemed totally
inappropriate, as indeed it
would for other small
species. Discussions
started on the Novice
Breeder Advice Yahoo Group
on how hobby cat breeders
could be exempted from this
regulation and the ball
began rolling. Ray had
almost daily discussions
with the personnel at DEFRA
dealing with this
consultation, to clarify the
wording in their document
and a letter was written on
behalf of the group to DEFRA..
The power of the internet
ensured that the message was
distributed far and wide and
some clubs took up the
challenge and also wrote, as
did a large number of
individuals. To help add
weight, we also set up an
online petition which
attracted over 800
signatures and this was also
forwarded to DEFRA.
As we had obviously made it
clear that we were very
concerned at the impact it
would have on the cat fancy
at a time when show entries
were already declining, we
were invited to a meeting
with the senior personnel at
DEFRA and we invited Martin
Wood (TICA) and David
Brinicombe (FB) to join us
with Julia May (GCCF) also
attending. DEFRA realised
that they had a 'potential'
problem as they had received
such a large amount of
comments from cat breeders
and after a very productive
discussion they confirmed
that they would propose to
the Minister that hobby
breeders should be exempted
where there was no profit
made.
On Monday 16th
October we received the
following statement from
DEFRA:
"In relation to cats:
It has now been confirmed by
the Minister (as of Friday
evening) that hobby breeders
are to be excluded from the
scope of the regulation,
when the income source does
not exceed the expenses of
the hobby.
The Minister has also
confirmed that there will be
a derogation for non-farmed
species from 8 hours to 12
hours when the journey
is commercial. The vehicle
will be excluded from the
inspection and approval
requirements. An
Authorisation will still be
required.
Given that nearly all
journeys would be hobby/show
related, and that no money
is made from the hobby, the
regulation is unlikely to
affect cat breeders. "
We would like to thank all
those that took the time to
involve themselves in
spreading the word, lobbying
their MPs and MEPs as
without that weight it might
have been a different
outcome. We would also
advise hobby breeders to
check their websites and to
alter any references to
selling of kittens and
perhaps consider replacing
that wording with something
like 'home' or 'adoption'.
Marcia Owen
Dr Ray Wigley
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