Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, snakes, and domestic fowl. These are some of the pets affected by the new regulations proposed by the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
One of the proposals is that the animals should have more space to move around. Today's space requirements date back to the late 1990s. A new animal welfare law came into force in 2019, and the Swedish Board of Agriculture is now updating the regulations in accordance with the law and scientific knowledge.
For example, rabbits should have ten square meters of space to move around, and snakes should be able to stretch out to their full length.
To allow animals to fulfill their social needs, requirements will also be set for animals that naturally live with conspecifics to do so when kept as companions.
"Today, we have greater knowledge about animals' needs than when today's regulations were drawn up," says Kajsa Sefastsson, animal welfare officer at the Swedish Board of Agriculture, in a press release.
Crocodiles and flying squirrels are proposed to be completely banned as pets. However, those who already have a crocodile will be allowed to keep the animal for its lifetime.
The regulation is planned to come into force on January 1, 2026. The changes do not apply to animals such as dogs, cats, and horses.
Hanna Rasmusson/TT
Facts: This is how much space the animals should have
TT
Rabbits: Minimum floor area of 10 square meters or, in group housing, at least 3 square meters/rabbit.
Guinea pigs: Minimum floor area of 3 square meters or, in group housing, 1 square meter/guinea pig.
Golden hamsters: Minimum floor area of 0.75 square meters.
Snakes (less than 100 cm): Minimum floor area of 0.75 square meters or, in group housing, 0.37 square meters/snake.
Fowl: Minimum floor area of at least 6 square meters. Outdoor area of at least 25 square meters – or, in group housing, 2 square meters/hen.
All proposals can be found on the Swedish Board of Agriculture's website.
The new regulations also cover, for example, carrier pigeons, peacocks, quails, parrots, finches, ferrets, rats, hamsters, miniature pigs, lizards, tortoises, salamanders, toads, frogs, goldfish, and cichlids.
Source: Swedish Board of Agriculture
