Maha: Pune civic body urges cat owners to get pets registered

The civic authorities in Maharashtra's Pune city have appealed to cat owners to get their pets registered with them, an official said on Friday.

Till now, only dog owners were supposed to get their pets registered with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

''Like dogs owners, people owning cats will have to get their pets registered with the PMC. They have to follow norms regarding vaccination and birth control of their pets,'' said Dr Ashish Bharti, the health chief of the PMC.

Earlier, people had to approach ward offices to get their pets registered, but now the civic body has provided the facility on its website and the registration can be done at Rs 50 per pet, he said.

Pets have to be vaccinated before registration, he said.

''At least 5,500 dogs have been registered with the PMC, which is very low and we appeal to pet owners to get their pets, be it dog or cat to get registered with PMC,'' he said.

If a complaint is received about an unregistered pet, the PMC issues a notice to the owner and ask them to register the animal, the official said.