Pets Canton of Aargau cannot impose a "Büsi" chip requirement
For legal reasons, the canton of Aargau cannot introduce compulsory registration of domestic cats. This was made clear by the cantonal government in its response to a motion tabled by members of all six parties represented in parliament. The federal government has rejected a chip requirement for cats.
28.06.2024, 12:13
SDA
It is of the opinion that the introduction of compulsory registration would only have the desired effect if it were to be enacted at national level and the number of domestic cats were to fall significantly as a result. The government council wrote this in its statement on a motion from the ranks of the Greens, SP, Center, FDP, SVP, EVP and GLP.
"This is the only way to ensure that the loss of wild animals such as slow worms, lizards and birds caused by roaming cats is sustainably reduced," the cantonal government stated: "The introduction of a registration requirement at cantonal level is therefore neither legally feasible nor effective and efficient."
The introduction of a cantonal registration requirement for cats based on animal disease legislation is not feasible. The Federal Animal Welfare Act does not contain a registration requirement for cats.
140,000 cats live in Aargau
The cantons are not allowed to take all the measures that the federal government has waived in the law and the implementing ordinances. According to the cantonal government, this is referred to as "qualified silence on the part of the legislator".
There are an estimated 140,000 cats in the canton of Aargau. According to the statement, an unquantifiable number of them are stray and multiply uncontrollably. These cats have to obtain their own food and therefore pose a threat to native prey animals.
