The Swiss Climate Protection Association has proposed that a cap be placed on the number of dogs and cats that call the country home. Under the plans, the import and breeding of cats would be banned, in a bid to help protect Swiss wildlife and biodiversity.

Switzerland debates cap on dog and cat population

With 2 million moggies calling the nation home, it’s not an understatement to say that Switzerland is cat crazy. However, some within the Swiss Climate Protection Association, famous for bringing about the Glacier Initiative, have argued that while you are back at home wondering what adventures your feline friend is having, they are having a dramatically negative impact on the environment.

According to estimates from the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), domestic cats in Switzerland kill 30 million birds and 500.000 reptiles and amphibians every year. Therefore, the Swiss Climate Protection Association is discussing launching a new initiative that would call for a moratorium on the cat and dog population. People in Switzerland would be banned from importing and breeding cats and dogs, with the aim of keeping the population from growing for 10 years. 

Cats have a dramatic impact on local environment, expert argues

"Many cat owners only see their cat, which occasionally brings a bird home. They don't see the huge number of birds, frogs or dragonflies that are killed," Beat Akeret, the head of an amphibian and reptile association, told the NZZ. Climate Protection Association managing director Oliver Deapp confirmed that the ban was part of a raft of proposals submitted to members, which range from protecting biodiversity to dramatically cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The idea of curbing cat and dog numbers is not new in Switzerland. In Aargau, lawmakers debated adding a compulsory registration fee for new pets to cut down on “ill-considered purchases”, while Bern has recently discussed introducing a special tax on outdoor cats.

Restricting the Swiss cat population is not a priority, notes Pro Natura

Others are not quite as convinced by the approach: Urs Leugger-Eggimann, managing director of nature advocacy group Pro Natura, told the NZZ said he was against the focus on felines. He argued that in the grand scheme of things, the threat posed by cats to biodiversity was nothing compared to “climate change, the expansion of settlement areas and the intensive use of agriculture.”

Nevertheless, Pro Natura is also discussing new measures to combat the problem. These range from fitting outdoor cats with rustling collars, castrating outdoor cats and enforcing a cat curfew during breeding seasons.

Swiss cat cap could be submitted by the end of 2024

According to the Swiss Climate Protection Association, the cat and dog ban will be presented to members and supporters in the coming weeks. If accepted, the proposal will be added to a new referendum, which the organisation plans to submit by the end of the year.