Couldn't make it up

[JanB]

Sorry to bombard you with stuff tonight.

There is a new law, coming into force on Monday, that decrees that all cats, dogs and ferrets be microchipped, vaccinated and must have all injections.

This is, apparently, so if the aforesaid animals do a runner, they can then be returned to the owners

All dogs have to be registered by law, that's not a problem. But ferrets

The fine for not doing this will be anything from 50 euros to 44,000 euros

So Jose, down at the bar, with his 30 odd cats, four dogs at the last count, must pay 2.50 to register each animal, then have them all vaccinated and chipped (normally 100 euros)

Can't see this happening.

We're not doing this either.

[Kaz]

Ferrets is pushing it a bit, but cats and dogs should be chipped IMHO xx

[saundra]

Most people don't have 40cats tho Jan to be fair and it should be done for the animals sake

[TheOstrich]

There's quite a few cats chipped already in this country, I think, and there is also a growing move to make it compulsory for drivers who run over cats to stop and report it to the police. Dogs I can understand, but cats are uncontrollable wanderers (the number of missing cat / found cat posts on the town's FB page is testament to that) so I think that a new law is a little bit OTT, really.

[JanB]

But ferrets?

[Kaz]

Are ferrets a big thing in Portugal, Jan? I have a mental image of gangs of marauding ferrets roaming the countryside

[Ally]

Ferrets is pushing it a bit, but cats and dogs should be chipped IMHO xx

Absolutely!

[Ally]

Are ferrets a big thing in Portugal, Jan? I have a mental image of gangs of marauding ferrets roaming the countryside

[Workingman]

In towns and cities I can sort of see it partly working, but it in the countryside? Will they visit every property and every cat, dog and, err, ferret? It would be an expensive logistical nightmare.

And if they do find an unchipped cat, dog or ferret freely roaming about how do they prove ownership? Do they charge the cat, dog or ferret?

[JanB]

Exactly WM. I agree that dogs should be done, but cats and ferrets here ?

I don't know of anyone who has a ferret

The amount of feral cats in the countryside is astounding and it's not much less in the towns and cities. And there are a lot of wandering dogs around here too. Hunting dogs have to be licenced, vaccinated and chipped, household dogs have to be licenced and vaccinated too.

I'm not putting our semi feral cat through the trauma of being in a box, going to the vet, several times. We'll take our chances.

And we're not getting a ferret either