Switzerland: Federal Council Supports Mandatory Registration of Pet Cats

On February 19, 2025, the Federal Council took a position on various parliamentary motions related to animal law and animal welfare:

• Mandatory Registration of Pet Cats
  The Federal Council supports Motion 24.4671 „Nationale Registrierungspflicht für Hauskatzen", submitted by Meret Schneider (Green Party). This measure aims to help reunite missing animals with their owners more quickly, curb the uncontrolled cat population, and provide important data for animal welfare. Additionally, microchipping and registering each cat will create a foundation for more accurately studying the impact of cat populations on biodiversity.

• Mandatory Neutering of Outdoor Cats
  The Federal Council considers a general neutering obligation for outdoor cats to be disproportionate. A study by the University of Bern shows that environmental factors have a greater influence on the population of feral cats than neutering. Furthermore, such a requirement could lead owners to deny their cats outdoor access, which could negatively impact animal welfare. Legal and administrative challenges also speak against this measure. The rejection request concerns Motion 24.4672 „Stopp der übermässigen Vermehrung von Streunerkatzen!“, also submitted by Meret Schneider.

• Promotion of Alternatives to Animal Testing
  The postulate „Alternativen zu Tierversuchen. Forschungsstandort Schweiz stärken!“ submitted by Meret Schneider, was also recommended for rejection by the Federal Council. The postulate called for an examination of international approaches to promoting animal-free research methods and their applicability in Switzerland. The Federal Council justified the rejection request by pointing to existing programs such as the National Research Programme "Advancing 3R" (NRP 79) and the 3R Competence Centre (3RCC). These initiatives promote the reduction and replacement of animal testing and ensure that Switzerland is well-positioned internationally. The Federal Council therefore considers a comparison with measures abroad to be premature.