Nairobi Cat Owners to pay a Ksh. 200 licensing fee to legally keep their pets.

Cat owners in Nairobi County may soon need to pay a Ksh. 200 licensing fee to legally keep their pets, according to a new county law proposal. The Animal Control Welfare Draft Bill mandates that all cat owners must obtain a license issued by the County Government to maintain legal possession of their cats.

The licensing process requires cat owners to demonstrate they have "premises fit to control the cat," as stipulated in the bill. The bill specifies, "A cat license fee shall be shillings two hundred (Ksh. 200) and shall be subject to revision in the current Finance Act and shall become due upon the issue or renewal of a license."

Renewing a license involves notifying the Head of County Veterinary Services if the original license is lost or has been issued in another jurisdiction, along with surrendering the previous license and receipt to the County Government. Additionally, a renewal license may be issued for free if there is medical proof that the cat has been neutered within twelve months of the original license issuance.

The bill also imposes health regulations, requiring all cats over three months old to be vaccinated against rabies at least once a year by a veterinary surgeon. A vaccination certificate must be retained by the owner at all times.

Interestingly, the bill includes specific behavioral requirements for cats. It prohibits owners from allowing their cats to "scream or otherwise cry in a manner that disturbs the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort, or convenience of a person in the neighborhood."

Owners of female cats in heat must also confine their pets to prevent contact with other cats, except those belonging to the same owner. Any change in ownership of a licensed cat will require a transfer fee of Ksh. 100, payable to the Head of County Veterinary Services.

The proposed bill has sparked various reactions among cat owners and animal welfare advocates in Nairobi, who are now bracing for the potential new regulations and fees.