Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This study consisted of an online questionnaire with Sweden's natural resource programs upper secondary schools as the target group. The aim of the study was to investigate the schools' keeping and education of cats. New requirements have been introduced in the Swedish legislation regarding ID-marking, registration and unplanned breeding of cats, with an aim of clarifying owner responsibility and reducing the homeless cat population. It was therefore of interest to investigate whether the new requirements have had any impact on the natural resource programs in upper secondary schools in Sweden. The questionnaire was distributed to the principals of the 99 upper secondary schools in Sweden that offer education in natural resource programs with specializations in animals and animal husbandry. The results of the study indicate that education about cats occurs in varying degrees for the upper secondary school students studying natural resource programs. The majority of students receiving cat education are studying animal care, although students studying equestrianism, agriculture and farming are also educated to varying degrees. The majority of the responding schools that currently do not teach their students about cats and cat-keeping, will not implement it in the future. The majority of principals did not experience that their students were interested in education regarding cats. There is still an uncertainty about the schools´ procedures for ID-marking, registration, neutering and vaccination when keeping cats at the schools. The majority of the schools do not know for sure whether their cats are ID-marked or vaccinated, and registration and neutering are carried out to varying degrees. The study suggests that the new requirements in the Swedish legislation have not had the desired effect yet. This could potentially be caused by a lack of knowledge, and a lack of awareness of the legislation to comply with. The lack of priority given to cats in education may also be a result of human attitudes towards cats. The results suggest that there is a risk that the upper secondary schools that are responsible for educating students about animals and animal husbandry, may contribute to the problem of homeless and feral cats in society. Students studying natural resource programs, with an interest in animals and animal husbandry, will most likely keep animals in the future, and have a future responsibility to pass on their knowledge. In order to continuously work against the problem of homeless cats, more knowledge about cats and legislation in Sweden’s upper secondary schools natural resource programs is suggested.