New rules for pet owners – then they can take effect

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New rules for pet owners then they can take

The Swedish Board of Agriculture has proposed new rules for pet owners. Here you will find all the information about the proposal, which is currently out on a referral.

The Swedish Board of Agriculture wants to update the detailed animal welfare regulations that apply to animals that are held for companionship and hobby. This is because partly to make them more in line with updated scientific evidence, and partly for them to match the new animal welfare law that started to apply in 2019.

But what are the new rules proposed by the Swedish Board of Agriculture, which animals are covered and when can the new regulations actually come into force? Below we work out everything you might want to know about the proposal, which is out on external referral.

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The Swedish Board of Agriculture plans to change the detailed animal welfare regulations, partly so that they will better match the new Animal Protection Act from 2019. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

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What are the rules for pets the Swedish Agricultural Agency presented?

The proposal that the Swedish Board of Agriculture has sent out for external referral contains several new rules that could begin to apply. One of these rules concerns the space requirement on living areas for pets.

– Today we have greater knowledge of the needs of the animals than when today’s rules were developed and to promote animal welfare in the way the Animal Protection Act requires, we see that the rules need to be redone. In many cases, the proposal for new rules implies stricter requirements regarding, among other things, space, interior design and that animals that naturally live with species of species should be allowed to do so even when held for companionship and hobby, says Kajsa Sefastssonanimal welfare officers at the Swedish Agricultural Agency, I a press release.

So large cage should your animal have – according to the proposal

  • Chinchilla: Must have a cage surface of at least five square meters. When grouping, there must be a cage surface of at least one and a half square meters per animal.
  • Bird that is less than 25 centimeters: Must have a living space indoors of at least four square meters. When grouping, there should be a cage surface of half a square meter per bird, as well as surface outdoors.
  • Birds that are between 25 and 60 centimeters: Must have a living space indoors of at least six square meters. When grouping, there must be a cage surface of at least 0.6 square meters per animal, as well as surface outdoors.
  • Mini pig: Must have a living space of at least six square meters or three square meters for group holding, as well as outdoor space of 250 square meters or 50 square meters per animal when grouping.
  • Tamiller: Must have a cage that is at least ten square meters. When grouping, there must be a cage surface of five square meters per animal.
  • Rabbit: Must have a living space of at least ten square meters. When grouping, there must be a cage surface of at least three square meters per animal.
  • Guinea pigs: Must have a living space of at least three square meters. When grouping, there must be a cage surface of at least one square meter per animal.
  • TamRåtta: Must have a living space of at least three square meters. When grouping, there must be a cage surface of at least half a square meter per animal.
  • Gold hamsters and dwarf hamsters: Shall have a living space of at least 0.75 square meters. When grouping, there must be a cage surface of at least 0.18 square meters per animal.
  • Snake that is less than 100 centimeters: Shall have a living space of at least 0.75 square meters. When grouping, there should be a cage surface of 0.37 square meters per animal.
  • Turtles that are between 15 and 30 centimeters: Must have a living space of at least four square meters.
  • Salamander that is between ten and 20 centimeters: Must have a living space of at least half a square meter.
  • Salamander that is between 20 and 60 centimeters: Must have a living space of at least one and a half square meters. When grouping, there must be a burden of half square meters per animal.

    • Source: The Swedish Agricultural Agency

    As mentioned by Kajsa Sefastsson, animals that are held for company, to get an outlet for their social needs, should not be kept alone.

    “Social species generally do not feel good about being kept alone and the new requirements therefore require, for example, rabbits being kept at least two and two,” the press release writes.

    Read the proposal in its entirety, with all the rules, here.

    Which animals are covered by the Swedish Agricultural Agency’s proposed rules?

    On The Swedish Agricultural Agency’s website Exemplifies, with a list, which animals are affected by the proposed rules:

  • Ground -living birds, such as domestic hens, quail, peacocks and domestic
  • Birds that are not ground -living, such as parrots and finches
  • letter pigeons
  • Tamillers
  • Rabbits
  • rodent
  • Snakes and lizards
  • Turtles
  • amphibians
  • leg fish
  • mini pigs

    • Read more: Owner Warned: Your pet may be mis -labeled

    Mini pigs are one of several animals covered by the new proposal. Photo: Björn Larsson Rosvall/TT

    Does the rules proposed by the Swedish Board of Agriculture apply to cats and dogs?

    However, not all animals are allowed to be held for companionship and hobby, which are affected by the proposal.

    The Swedish Board of Agriculture states that changes do not apply to “dogs, cats, horses, donkeys and intersections between horses and donkeys, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs other than mini pigs, deer, deer, mufflon, wild boar, crossings between domestic pigs and wild boars or downtowns.

    When can the new pet rules start to apply?

    If the referral goes through, the plan is that the new rules will enter into force on 1 January 2026. However, the Swedish Board of Agriculture has introduced several transitional provisions in the proposal.

    For example, you will have two years to expand the animal’s space if it is so that you have one, according to those regulations, too small in the current situation.

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