Me-ow! Kenyan feline lovers fret over cat-tax plan

Feline lovers in Kenya’s capital have been twitching over the threat of what is perceived as a “cat tax” – and any talk of tax in the East African nation raises the hackles.

The proposal comes via the Nairobi City County which wants all cats to be registered by their owners – which some are moaning is a “cat-astrophe”.

It would require cat owners in Nairobi to purchase an annual licence – costing 200 Kenyan shillings ($1.50; £1.20) along with proof that the animal has had a rabies vaccination.

Not only that, but “purrents” – as cat owners are known – would need to take responsibility for their furry friend’s behaviour, and we all know that a cat does not take direction well.

According to the city’s Animal Control and Welfare Bill, they would have to ensure their pets do not “scream or cry in a manner that disturbs the peace” of residents.

They would also be required to confine cats on heat.

The proposed legislation is aimed at improving cat welfare, but some jaundiced city residents need convincing.

Kenyans recently forced the government to withdraw a finance bill introducing a raft of contentious taxes – and this plan by Nairobi county is seen by some as part of the government’s appetite for raising more revenue.

“First taxes on period products, now taxing cat owners. Leave my pussy alone!” Khadijah M Farah said on X, referencing the now-dropped finance bill.

Some Kenyans are also raising questions about how enforceable it is, given the high population of stray or feral cats.

The city’s feline population – lions in the Nairobi National Park excluded – is not known, but they are ubiquitous: prowling on streets, lounging in shops, and foraging at rubbish tips and restaurants.

Yowling from various cats in different registers can often punctuate the hush of night, especially during mating season.

Naomi Mutua, who with more than a dozen cats calls herself Nairobi’s “mother of cats”, told the BBC the county authorities should have checked with cat owners, rescue organisations and veterinary groups before coming up with the draft law.

She runs a Facebook group of about 25,000 cat lovers and says the introduction of mandatory rabies vaccinations is a good thing but queries how it will be achieved in reality.

About 2,000 Kenyans die every year from rabies caused by dog or cat bites, according to the health ministry.

And Ms Mutua says the first premise of any new law should start with improving “standards of care that are lacking”.

She wonders whether confining a cat on heat would be “restricting them from their natural behaviour”.

A public consultation is being organised by the county – to begin this Friday.

City residents will be able to give their views about the bill – which may inform further amendments to be considered by the county assembly.

For the head of the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA), Emma Ngugi, the draft legislation is a welcome move given that animal welfare in the city is a “huge problem”.

But licences, she feels, are probably not the answer as people may not want to claim ownership of cats.

Some people may end up throwing out their cats if they are forced to pay for them, which would defeat the purpose of the bill.

“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,” she told the BBC.

Ms Ngugi also points out that there is already legislation on dog ownership that is ignored as most people do not bother to get licences for them – even those who can afford to do so.

Under the proposed bill, cat owners who fail to comply with the licensing and welfare standards would be guilty of an offence and liable to penalties including jail terms.

Yet many people are scoffing at the idea of anyone checking up.

“Nairobi cats are restless. You cannot own Nairobi cats,” a panellist said on a youth TV show over the weekend.

But 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.

In the meantime the bill has got many talking excitedly on the subject, even prompting one Nairobi resident to poetry.

In his “ode to cats in Kenya” on X, Innocent Ouko ends his verse with the words: “Seems like we’re in a cat-ch 22 situation.”