Spain's animal welfare law explained for cat owners
Between headlines and hoaxes, many people in Spain don't know what they actually have to do with their cat. Law 7/2023 contains several obligations that directly affect cats, some of them very specific. This is what the text says, what it doesn't say and what depends on your region.
Which law we are talking about
Law 7/2023 of 28 March, on the protection of the rights and welfare of animals, is the national law that sets a common framework for companion animals throughout Spain. It came into force in September 2023. It sits alongside each region's own animal protection law and each town council's bylaws, and several parts of it depend on implementing regulations that are still being worked out. So when you read that “the law requires” something, it is worth distinguishing between what the text says directly and what still depends on how it is applied. Here we stick to what the text says about cats. It applies to anyone living in Spain, including people who move there with their cat; elsewhere, check the rules where you live.
Microchip and neutering before six months
This is the most specific obligation and the one that affects cats most. Article 26 requires all cats to be identified with a microchip and surgically sterilised before six months of age, except breeding animals registered to a registered breeder. This applies to every cat, whether it goes outdoors or not. Identification also means entering the cat on the relevant companion animal register. In practice, the microchip is fitted at the first vet visits, and neutering is usually done between four and six months, as your vet recommends. If you adopt, the cat will normally already have both done, or come with a signed commitment to do them.
Not leaving it alone for more than three days
The law forbids leaving any companion animal unsupervised for more than three consecutive days; for dogs the limit is shorter, twenty-four hours. This means that if you go away, someone has to check on your cat at least that often. In practice, much more is advisable: a cat with three days' worth of food and water can have a problem that won't wait, such as a urinary blockage or an accident. The sensible thing is for a sitter or a neighbour to call in once a day, or at least every other day, even if there is an automatic feeder and a water fountain.
Balconies, terraces and the street
Two prohibitions in Article 27 are of particular interest to cat owners. The first: habitually keeping dogs and cats on terraces, balconies, roof terraces, storerooms, basements, patios and similar places, or in vehicles. A cat that lives on the balcony is not an indoor cat. The second: letting animals roam public spaces without the person responsible for them being present to supervise. How this applies to a cat with outdoor access is not entirely clear and depends a great deal on the case and on local rules, but in a city, letting your cat out on its own sits badly with this article, as well as being risky for the cat.
Breeding and sales: what changed
Only breeders entered on the relevant register may breed cats, and the law expressly prohibits breeding by unregistered breeders. It also bans the sale of dogs, cats and ferrets in pet shops and their display for commercial purposes: they can only be sold by registered breeders. The law gave shops one year to stop selling them. And it prohibits genetic selection practices that cause serious health problems, although it does not publish a list of affected breeds. For anyone looking for a pedigree cat, the tool is simple: ask for the breeder's registration number.
Feral colonies and community cats
One of the big new features is that the law recognises community cats, those living freely and tied to a territory, with little or no socialisation with people, and requires them to be managed. It tasks local authorities with feral colony management programmes based on the TNR method (trap-neuter-return, known in Spain as CER), with a census, health checks and the neutering of every cat in the colony, each of which must have a microchip registered to the local authority. The regions set the framework protocols, including feeding criteria and training for carers. Removing or relocating community cats outside the permitted cases is a serious offence.
Mutilation and putting animals down
The law prohibits mutilation and permanent body modifications, except where there is a certified veterinary need. In cats, that includes surgical declawing, a practice that should never have existed. The only exception relating to cats is ear-tipping of neutered community cats, the small cut that shows from a distance that a colony cat has already been neutered. It also prohibits putting down companion animals except on justified grounds of safety or public health, or euthanasia on veterinary judgement to prevent suffering that cannot be relieved. A cat cannot be put down because of old age, because nobody will adopt it or for financial reasons.
What the law does not require for cats
Some obligations that appeared in headlines are set out in the national law for dogs only. The training course for owners is for people who want to keep a dog. Compulsory third-party liability insurance is also for dog ownership. Neither applies to cats under the national law, although it is worth checking whether your region or town council requires anything more. The law does talk, in general terms, about regulated responsible-ownership training for each species, but the details depend on implementing regulations. The rabies vaccine is not compulsory for cats under the national law either: it depends on the region, and it is essential for travelling outside Spain.
If your cat goes missing or dies
The law requires you to report the loss or theft of an animal to the competent authority within forty-eight hours at most. In practice, that means notifying the town council or the local police and updating the microchip status on the register, which is also what helps most in getting the cat back. When an identified animal dies, you also have to report it so it is removed from the register, and the law asks for proof of cremation or burial carried out by an authorised company. The vet or the pet funeral service usually helps with the paperwork.
Penalties
The law grades offences as minor, serious and very serious. Minor offences carry a warning or a fine of €500 to €10,000; serious ones, €10,001 to €50,000; and very serious ones, €50,001 to €200,000, with possible additional penalties such as a ban on keeping animals. Failing to meet the identification obligations is classed as a serious offence. For failure to neuter, the law does not set out a specific offence, and leaves it to local authorities to put control mechanisms in place. Bear in mind that the regions also have their own penalty systems, so the actual figure in a real case depends on many factors.
The short list for today
Check that your cat has a microchip and is registered in your name with your current phone number. If it is over six months old and not neutered, talk to your vet. Make sure it doesn't habitually live on a balcony or terrace, and that balconies and windows are safe. Arrange who will check on it when you go away. If you buy a cat, buy only from a registered breeder. And if you feed street cats, get in touch with your town council or the association that manages the colony, because colony feeding is regulated and coordinated. With that, you are complying with what really affects your cat.
For cat owners in Spain, the law mainly requires a microchip and neutering before six months, not leaving the cat alone for more than three days, not keeping it habitually on balconies or terraces and reporting it missing within 48 hours. The compulsory course and insurance are for dogs. For everything else, check your region's rules.
Educational content from Michipedia, translated from the Spanish original. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a feline behaviour specialist. Every cat is an individual.