Latest news with #exoticcats
CBC
10-07-2025
- General
- CBC
Serval owner says regulation and permitting for exotic cats is needed, not a full-on ban
A serval owner and Bengal and Savannah cat breeder in B.C.'s Central Okanagan is raising concerns about the province's proposal to ban the breeding, sale and future ownership of all exotic and non-domestic cats, including servals, ocelots and European wildcats. In a news release on Tuesday, the province said the animals would be designated as "controlled alien species," a long list that includes, but is not limited to, animals like giraffes, hyenas, jaguars and polar bears. But Sonu De'cruze said it would be more appropriate to regulate breeders and owners and require permits rather than ban exotic cats altogether. De'cruze owns an eight-year-old serval named Uzi, who she described as "lovely," but who needs a lot of work. She's spent thousands of dollars on enclosures, both indoors and outside, so that Uzi can roam around. She changes up his environment regularly to combat boredom, and he has a giant cat wheel to walk on — like people walking on a treadmill, De'cruze said. She also doles out about $700 every month on food: a kibble mixture, raw meat and vitamins and supplements. "We've had to be very particular about his diet from when he was quite young, making sure that he was getting all of the proper nutrition," she said. De'cruze is committed to owning her serval, so much so that she doesn't take vacations, and when she and her husband have to leave for emergencies, there are a select few people they call to care for Uzi. It's a lot. And it's something De'cruze realizes isn't for everyone, and said it probably shouldn't be. But, she said, a ban on the cats altogether may be too hasty. She worries the ban will force breeders and owners "underground," and that these cats won't receive proper care because owners will be afraid to take them to the vet. "It's just gonna be worse for these cats, if people are being forced to kind of do everything in secret." De'cruze also breeds Bengal and Savannah cats. While neither breed was specifically mentioned in the province's release, they're often lumped in with the ones that were. Not only is she concerned she won't be able to own servals in the future, but she's also concerned for her business. "I'm kind of just sitting in limbo at this point, waiting to see what happens." B.C. exotic cat breeder Catherine Joyal said in an email to CBC News that she is heartbroken by the proposal of this ban. "It's a sad situation," Joyal said. "I understand the need for regulation, but I wish the focus were on education and responsible ownership, not on punishing the animals themselves." She agreed with De'cruze that exotic cat ownership is not for everyone. "When raised properly, they can become affectionate, loyal, and truly extraordinary companions." Lawyer wants to see ban expanded Lawyer Rebeka Breder, who specializes in animal law, said that while she understands why someone would want to own an exotic cat, "there's absolutely no need whatsoever." "The bottom line is that they suffer in captivity," she said. "When an exotic animal, when a wild animal or an animal that's supposed to be wild still has in his genes and instincts to travel hundreds of kilometres and to have a wide territory and to have a wide variety of different things that they eat, their welfare needs simply cannot be met in a home environment." Breder wants to see the ban extended to other animals, like boa constrictors. The B.C. SPCA has been an open supporter of a ban on exotic cats, encouraging British Columbians to sign their petition calling for the regulation of all exotic animals. The organization said the cats are a public safety risk. Two servals escaped from a breeder on Vancouver Island in 2022, and killed a domestic cat and multiple domestic ducks before they were captured, the organization said. "People were really scared," B.C. SPCA chief scientific officer Sara Dubois told CBC News. "They didn't want their kids walking to the school bus because again, these are 40-pound, large, lanky animals, and they could be defensively aggressive." Further consideration De'cruze thinks the ban proposal stems from when, in 2019, the SPCA seized 13 servals from a breeder near Kamloops, B.C., after they were found living in "horrific conditions." At the time, the SPCA said that the idea of these cats living in captivity was "disturbing enough," let alone in substandard conditions. On July 9, the SPCA confirmed in an email to CBC News that no charges were ever submitted in that case. "The people that actually caused the problem in the first place are walking free," De'cruze said. "Now everybody else is just getting penalized." De'cruze hopes a little more consideration goes into the ban. While current owners would be able to keep their cats until their deaths as long as they apply for free permits, De'cruze does hope that when Uzi passes, she may be able to get another serval. "We would like to have the option to have another one if, at that time in our life, we know that we'll be able to provide the same level of care that we provided for our cat, Uzi."
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
B.C. seeks to claw back future ownership and breeding of exotic cats
A European wildcat hides and sleeps in a hole at the zoo in Duisburg, Germany, Friday, Jan. 30, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Frank Augstein VICTORIA — The British Columbia government is proposing to ban the breeding, sale and future ownership of all exotic and non-domestic cats, including servals, ocelots and European wildcats. The proposed changes would add the cats to the list of about 1,200 animals already designated as 'controlled alien species' under the provincial Wildlife Act. A statement from the government issued Tuesday said the changes respond to 'long-standing concerns' from animal-welfare organizations and wildlife experts about public safety and environmental risks that such animals pose. The government said the changes would also benefit the animals themselves by creating standards for their keeping. The proposed legislation would allow current owners of such cats to keep them until their deaths, provided they apply for free permits. Provincial law already prohibits the ownership of large cats such lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards and cheetahs. While details of the proposed legislation are still emerging, the proposed ban fulfils a long-standing demand from the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Sara Dubois, chief scientific officer for the SPCA, said in a January 2023 letter to the Regional District of Nanaimo that local bylaws covering exotic animals, including servals, are insufficient. She said the SPCA had asked the provincial government 'many times over the past decade' to include servals and other exotic species on the Controlled Alien Species list. Dubois also pointed to a provincial campaign signed by 8,000 people after the SPCA seized 13 serval cats from a breeder in Kamloops in 2019. 'The vast majority of the public supports exotic animal bans, knowing it is cruel and dangerous to keep wild animals (whether they originate in Canada or other countries) as pets,' she said. Dubois had sent her letter to regional officials after local authorities captured two African serval cats in October 2022 following their escape from a rural property near Qualicum Beach, but only after one of the animals had killed a domestic cat, the other several ducks. 'The recent escape of two servals in the Regional District of Nanaimo was shocking for the community, but sadly it was not surprising to us,' Dubois said. 'Despite being born in captivity, these exotic cats are not domestic animals, as domestication takes thousands of years of breeding to achieve.' This report by Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press, was first published July 8, 2025.
CBC
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
B.C. proposes ban on ownership and breeding of exotic cats
The British Columbia government is proposing to ban the breeding, sale and future ownership of all exotic and non-domestic cats, including servals, ocelots and European wildcats. The proposed changes would add the cats to the list of about 1,200 animals already designated as "controlled alien species" under the provincial Wildlife Act. A statement from the government issued Tuesday said the changes respond to "long-standing concerns" from animal welfare organizations and wildlife experts about public safety and environmental risks that such animals pose. The government said the changes would also benefit the animals themselves by creating standards for their keeping. The proposed legislation would allow current owners of such cats to keep them until their deaths, provided they apply for free permits. Provincial law already prohibits the ownership of large cats such as lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards and cheetahs. While details of the proposed legislation are still emerging, the proposed ban fulfils a long-standing demand from the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). Sara Dubois, chief scientific officer for the SPCA, said in a January 2023 letter to the Regional District of Nanaimo that local bylaws covering exotic animals, including servals, are insufficient. She said the SPCA had asked the provincial government "many times over the past decade" to include servals and other exotic species on the Controlled Alien Species list. Dubois also pointed to a provincial campaign signed by 8,000 people after the SPCA seized 13 serval cats from a breeder in Kamloops in 2019. "The vast majority of the public supports exotic animal bans, knowing it is cruel and dangerous to keep wild animals [whether they originate in Canada or other countries] as pets," she said. Dubois had sent her letter to regional officials after local authorities captured two African serval cats in October 2022 following their escape from a rural property near Qualicum Beach, but only after one of the animals had killed a domestic cat, and the other had killed several ducks. "The recent escape of two servals in the Regional District of Nanaimo was shocking for the community, but sadly it was not surprising to us," Dubois said.
