Cat owners must keep their animals clearly identified, under control and away from unwelcoming neighbours or face their pet being confiscated and put down, a municipal official has warned. Dr Mohammed Fahmi Hisham, Head of Veterinary Services, said owners must take responsibility for their cats by registering them with the Municipality and making sure they wear an official collar tag.

The move comes following new policies which replace the old methods of poisoning feral and stray cats in over-populated areas of Dubai - an activity formerly carried out by the Dubai Municipality Pest Control Section.

Hisham said those animals not wearing a municipality tag will now be picked up by the department's cat-catchers as strays and will be destroyed after eight days if left unclaimed by their owners. Vaccination cards from other emirates will also not be recognised in registering animals with Dubai Municipality.

He said: "We are doing our best to control the feral cat population, and in the interests of the public and the health of the animals, pet cats must be kept under control. One of our biggest concerns is that pet cats can mix with feral cats which can carry a number of infections. The feral cats are largely immune, but they still carry illnesses that can be transferred to an unvaccinated animal.

"If a pet cat is found wandering around without an identification tag to prove it has been vaccinated it will be considered a stray." He said that people who dislike pet cats from the surrounding area visiting their properties can also complain to the municipality who will come and trap the animals.

"We will respond to complaints about trespassing stray cats and they will be treated in the same way as those without collars. Their owners will be able to collect them from the municipality within the same eight-day time frame.

"We have space for around 70 cats in the municipal veterinary section - but we'd rather this wasn't filled with unnecessary cases, such as those without tags, or those bothering neighbours." Hisham said that the tags can be obtained from veterinary clinics in Dubai, or from the municipality's veterinary section, although one cat lover, who did not wish to be named, voiced concern over collars being used as identification.

"On average a cat loses a collar once every six weeks and they have also been known to strangle themselves by getting them caught in things. It will also be extremely difficult to keep cats out of neighbours' gardens because they are not like dogs, which are much easier to contain."

Hisham replied, "The best thing to do is not let pet cats stray outside the house at all. They should be kept indoors and be placed with a friend or a registered cattery if the owner has to go away for a few days. I also don't think the collar will be a problem because a lot of cats wear them as standard for identification and to keep fleas away."

He added that the new moves are the first stage towards a trap-neuter-release programme for Dubai's general cat population. Those wishing to enquire about the new policies or an errant pet may contact Dubai Municipality Veterinary Services Section on 04-2891114.