DEFRA's 2024 Regulations (Part 10)

Part 10 - DEFRA's Regulations

DEFRA officials pretending to be competent when all of their work condemns them and they are as delusional as Donald Trump refering to himself as a very stable genius.

4.0 Records

A cattery is not a data centre and if it doesn’t fit on an A4 sheet, or it has no bearing on our work, it’s too much information.
To register the information DEFRA wants for a 1000 cats would cost a month’s wages every year and reduces the time available for care by over 10% with absolutely no increase in cat welfare.
There’s a massive difference between an electronic format such as an email or dedicated software and an A4 written record but they are all valid repositories of information, DEFRA’s regulations must function in all of them … and they don’t.

But DEFRA’s obsession with time-wasting makes even less sense because every idea relates to an imaginary construct that only DEFRA recognises.
DEFRA tried to create an entirely universal standard of record keeping yet have no idea how this could be achieved and didn’t even lay what they did have in a universal form - instead they wrote a stupid 13 point list with no reference to feasibility - and regardless of anything else a pointless system of unnecessary paperwork increases costs, reduces productivity and provides no advantage over the myriad of successful variations developed by every individual in this sector.

4.1 A register must be kept of all the cats on the premises which must include:

(a) the dates of each cat’s arrival and departure

Without this information a cattery could not function or take bookings - and with a massive variance in drop-off and collection times, mistakes in flight dates and more travel delays through the likes of RyanAir this is not an exact science and all data needs to be matched to the needs of the cattery, not some fantasy structure created by DEFRA.

(b) each cat’s name, age, sex, neuter status and a description of it or its breed

Neuter status? We don’t allow un-neutered animals over 6 months stay in the cattery so we’re not putting an extra line and box to record a non-event. If DEFRA want to know this information, the source of this information is the vet.

(c) each cat’s microchip number, where applicable

There is no reason that a cattery would need to read the chip or record this information. At the most the only information we need to record is a Yes or a No. The source for this information is the vet, it’s usually available online and there are no circumstances where a cattery would need to refer to it or provide the information to anyone.

(d) the number of any cats from the same household

All cats from the same household must go on the same record, will arrive together and will likely occupy the same room. There is no need for any cross reference or separate record if using paper registration and while many electronic formats exist, it’s not universally applicable.

(e) a record of which cats (if any) are from the same household

All cats from the same household go on the same record, will arrive together and will likely occupy the same room. Any form can be adapted to include space for sharers without requiring cross referenceing each document - any idea that separate records are necessary or is advantageous in any way is because DEFRA's love affair with time-wasting and paperwork is an unecessary economic drain.

(f) the name, postal address, telephone number and email address of the owner of each cat and emergency contact details

This can all be collected over the phone, in person or electronically through social media, by form or email before the customer arrives and can be accessed in numerous ways. This information has no bearing on the care or time spent in the cattery. It only needs to be recorded again if the cattery booking or registration decides it’s required.

(g) in relation to each cat, the name, postal address, telephone number and email address of a local contact in an emergency

Only a name, phone number and email is necessary. A postal address in an emergency? Fucking morons.

(h) the name and contact details of each cat’s normal vet and details of any insurance relating to the cat

Whether a pet is insured or not is none of our business and has no bearing on anything that occurs during the cat’s stay with us.

(i) details of each cat’s relevant medical and behavioural history, including details of any treatment administered against parasites and restrictions on exercise

Some of this is obtained before the customer arrives, some is referred to during the booking and registration process and some is discussed with the customer and to underline DEFRA’s lack of any practical knowledge, cats are not always the same with us as they are at home or after a car journey.

(j) details of each cat’s diet and related requirements

Once again, not all catteries provide individual bespoke menus so this would not be relevant information. And even if individual bespoke meals are provided, veterinary prescribed food has to be provided by the customer because sometimes it’s not available to the public and certainly not cost-effective to keep in stock.

(k) any required consent forms

DEFRA had to add a nonsense addendum to the bottom to give four examples of consent when only one requires any specific consent. The only consent we require is permission to take any cat we suspect of being ill to their own vet and in an emergency our nearest vet or to the vet with the earliest available appointment.

(l) a record of the date or dates of each cat’s most recent vaccination, worming and flea treatments

They can’t get into the cattery without being vaccinated, so we always check and record the dates - worming and flea treatments are incredibly strong and dangerous chemicals and are not required to stay in the cattery - and information regarding treatment dates can be obtained from their registered vet and are often provided in pet plans.

(m) details of any medical treatment each cat is receiving

We have an entire board dedicated to this information and it’s never recorded in advance because meds and requirements change between visits for almost every cat. Anyone not doing this couldn’t run a cattery.

Consent forms must cover:

• veterinary treatment
• consent to share or separate cats if needed (no consent necessary)
• consent for toys or interaction preferences (no consent necessary)
• record of baskets or items left at the cattery (no consent necessary)

This discussion of DEFRA's regulation fiasco is covered in ten short articles:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10