Haarlem court rules that cats can go outside, despite danger to birds
Domestic cats can continue to roam freely outdoors, the court in Haarlem ruled in a case brought by the Huiskat Thuiskat Foundation. The foundation wanted cats to be kept indoors to protect birds and small mammals, but the court disagreed, RTL Nieuws reports.
Huiskat Thuiskat filed the lawsuit against the province of Noord-Holland, asking the court to ban cat owners from letting their pets roam outside. According to foundation chair Roel van Dijk, the same rules should apply to cats as to dogs. “If a loose dog kills a fawn, the owner is fined. Cats kill millions of birds and small mammals every year, but nothing is done about them. The law prohibits the killing of protected animals. This should also apply to domestic cats that hunt outdoors, because birds are protected species.”
The foundation based its case on reports from the website watvangtdekat.waarneming.nl, where owners report which animals their cats bring home. The foundation wanted to demonstrate that domestic cats kill protected species. But according to the court, this evidence is unconvincing, and it has not been sufficiently proven that cat owners consciously accept the risk of their pet killing a protected species.
Huiskat Thuiskat will appeal against the ruling.
According to Maggie Ruitenberg of the Cat Knowledge Center Netherlands, the foundation’s approach is too simplistic. “The Huiskat Thuiskat Foundation has been waging a battle for years that is quite black and white,” she told RTL. “They claim that cats kill millions of birds, but those figures often come from foreign research, for example, from Australia.” But the situation in the Netherlands is not comparable. “Many stray cats live there. Besides, not every cat goes outside, and not every outdoor cat catches birds.”
“We also believe that something should be done if birds are in danger. But the idea that all domestic cats should stay indoors is unrealistic and bad for their well-being. Many cats have a strong need for roaming. If you keep them indoors, you’ll get behavioral problems. Then birds will be protected, but the cats will be at risk,” Ruitenberg said.
According to Ruitneberg, the solution lies not in banning cats from going outside, but in better ownership. “If you live in an area rich in birds, don’t get a cat that wants to roam outside. And if your cat does go outside, provide a fenced garden. That way, it can safely go outside without causing damage or nuisance,” she said. “Make sure every cat is microchipped and neutered. This reduces the number of strays and prevents a lot of nuisance.”
Ruitenberg pointed out that other animals like foxes and stone martens also play a role in the decline of bird populations. “We simply don’t know to what extent cats actually contribute. So let’s work together with the Bird Protection Society, municipalities, and farmers to find practical solutions, instead of litigation,” she said. “We have to ensure that both birds and cats are doing well. The solution lies somewhere in between.”
