Question:
Hey everyone. I was just wondering what the different laws were where everyone lives, and what you all think of these laws. Here in Hamilton, Ontario, the limit is two cats or (I think) one dog and one cat, however this isn't strictly enforced. When we adopted Artemis from the SPCA we already had two cats but they let us adopt him anyway. I'm wondering if you guys think these laws are pointless or if they have a use. Also, how far can the rule be bent? If one extra cat is allowed, should 5 more be allowed? What's the limit. I personally think the laws are a bit stupid. Well, not stupid....but I mean, if I have 5 cats (which I do) and I want another one, I'm going to be less likely to get the next one from a shelter because A)I shouldn't have 5 cats to begin with and B)they probably wouldn't let me adopt a cat. So that's one more cat staying in a shelter. I understand that these types of laws are to prevent crazy old ladies from having 80 cats in one house. Anyway, just wanted to know what you guys thought on this subject.


Answer:
The question must be asked: what is going to happen to the animals if someone doesn't adopt them? I used to have 5 cats & I know it can be done without turning into an animal collector who can't take care of them. I think the quality of the prospective home is what should be assessed, not how many animals are already owned, because it is the quality of the home that determines how many animals are feasible. For instance: if someone lives in a bachelor apt. on welfare, they probably shouldn't be allowed multiple pets, but if someone has a big house with a fenced backyard & they have a good job that pays well, what's to say they shouldn't be allowed to take care of as many animals as they want? I know that sounds classist but I am on disability myself & I know the most I could afford is one more small animal like a chin, not another cat or a dog. Yet there are people in my situation with lots of animals who don't have the space or money to treat them right.


Answer:
I'm not sure about how many cats or dogs you can own down here but I know on the sheet that you fill out to adopt you don't need to put the amount of animals you have , they just ask if you have any other pets and that's as far as they go. I think you should beable to own as many animals as you like if you can take care of those animals and get what they need but if you can not take care of them or give them the love and attention they need then no you shouldn't get more. That's my opinion


Answer:
I know here they just recently passed a law limiting urban households to 3 dogs. I think it is completely reasonable. If you want to have 4 plus dogs running around then you should be in the country with a big yard


Answer:
I agree with a law but I also think it depends on the person,,,,,My mom lives in Hamilton also and she lives right in the city ,,she has 2 dogs but she has a huge fened in backyard and she treats them better than she did us,,,lol,,,,,I think it narrows down to the person,,,I know a girk who has 13 cats and you walk in her house and you don't smell a litter box or anything,,,,she takes the best of care for them,,,they are all fixed and kept up with their shots and are all indoor cats so like it was stated before I think it narrows down to the person!!


Answer:
Rincewind...you're right about the 3 dogs part but you're allowed a total of 5 pets. So a person could have 5 cats... or 3 dogs & 2 cats etc...
In my experience speaking with Bylaw officers, they are more concerned with people that have so many that they are receiving complaints about the smell, or constant barking etc. It's not like they have time to go door-to-door and check everyone's homes. The thread started off saying that crazy cat ladies with 80 cats...and the SPCA not letting people adopt more if they're over the limit (if we did adopt too many pets to someone, then we have to answer to the animal control people). Also, these "crazy cat ladies" don't adopt cats from the humane society, they tend to take in cats (& some could be your outdoor cats by the way) and she doesn't sterilize or vaccinate them...and it gets out of control when they start reproducing.


Answer:
We had 2 "crazy cat lady" incidents in Hamilton last year. One had 80+ cats, and the other 76, or something like that. It was on the news, which is how I first heard of the law.....but then the SPCA let us adopt a third cat, so I was just wondering how strict the by-law is.
Isn't it also the law that there has to be a complaint before an animal bylaw officer can enter your home? Not sure where I heard that.....
Anyway, right now we have 5 cats and 3 degus.....and I'm thinking about adopting a cat from the Hamilton Animal Welfare Association. He looks very timid from the pic on his site, but our cats are so friendly I think it would help him come out of his shell a bit. Plus, one cat we currently have was really timid when we first got him, so we have experience there.....but I'm worried that if I tell them we have 5 cats that they won't let me adopt him....but at the same time, I don't want to lie to them. I've talked to 2 of our neighbors (the apartment next to us, and below us) and they were each shocked that we had 5 cats because they never hear a sound....so at least we won't get complaints.
I know the law is for a good reason. I hated watching the news about the 2 cat ladies here in Hamilton....several of the cats had to be put down, and it broke my heart.


Answer:
We have a law like this is in my village here limiting the number of pets. I also got the feeling that it wasn't enforced unless someone complained about you. Same thing goes about exotic pets which aren't legal either. That would include rabbits and hamsters any thing that wasn't a cat or dog or live stock like cows ect... Humm? Wonder if I could have a Potty belly pig here and get away with it? LOL I'm just not going to push my luck.


Answer:
Here, I am not sure if there is a limit on cats, but the limit on dogs is 4 licensed dogs here in Capital regional district. There is also a law in BC for exotics, anything of over 45 of one species, you need to have an exotic animal license. They are pretty strict on it, but it takes a long time for them to follow up on checking with each individual.


Answer:
i know in n.c. your allowed 3 animals. like 2 dogs i cats etc. i have three dogs, three cats, they arent very strict on the law. you cant smell or dogs or cats. we have a huge back yard, you know for the old days when this house was first built, not like the new houses being built today with small back yards. our cats are fixed and up to date and our three dogs. i understand the law in n.c. but i think is should be apaild to different areas of n.c. and so on. maybe not. i know they dare not take away three healthy dogs and cats, just because of some law and i think they dont take them away is because of the shelters are over packed.