The European Union has been trying to agree on its first common rules on dog and cat welfare and traceability. However, as recently covered, the emphasis has been more on microchipping, registration, breeding, selling, shelters, imports, and illegal trade. There's no specific EU-wide limit as to how many hours or days a private owner can leave their pets home alone. The EU Parliament backed those first EU rules as late as two months ago, with the Council approving a deal last month.
However, Spain established concrete household rules a few years ago. They come from its 2023 Animal Welfare Law: no pet left unsupervised for more than three consecutive days; dogs, 24 hours. And it has been in force ever since.
Cat owners specifically who break the rule potentially face heavy fines. If you leave your cat alone for more than 72 hours it may even be treated as a serious offense, with penalties ranging from €10,001 to €50,000.
While it remains to be seen whether similar rules spread EU-wide, the measure is meant to prevent health risks and actual household accidents. Experts warn that auto-feeders and water fountains can fail, litter trays can become unusable, and prolonged isolation can naturally lead to several issues and illness, including dehydration, urinary problems, accidents, stress, and behavioural disorders.
