In Kenya, the Nairobi City County is proposing a new "cat tax" that feline fans are saying would be a cat-astrophe. The tax would require cat owners to pay 200 Kenyan shillings (US$1.50) each year and provide proof of vaccination. The regulation has other stipulations as well, including a requirement that the animals don't "scream or cry in a manner that disturbs the peace." That also means cats in heat would need to be confined to their homes. Cat owners and advocates aren't happy.
"Nairobi cats are restless. You cannot own Nairobi cats," says one resident.
And practically speaking, Emma Ngugi, head of the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA), argues that "if you introduce what is essentially a tax on cats, then it's going to be even harder for organisations like us working in communities to get people to take responsibility."
From BBC News:
… The KSPCA director says "the overpopulation of cats" is a big issue, with rabid ones posing a risk to human health and the environment.
She would prefer low-cost veterinary services to be introduced for those who can pay and mass sterilisation campaigns for stray cats and dogs – as the cost of sterilising a cat, for instance, can be the equivalent of a month's wages for some Kenyans.
"That's a proven methodology from all over the world, and it works," she says.
Previously:
• A struggling restaurant was saved by the power of cats
• A missed jump causes anarchy in a room full of cats
• Meet Terry Lauerman, the man who naps with cats
(via Fark)
