Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Minst 100 000 katter uppskattas i dagsläget vara hemlösa i Sverige. Årligen har det omhändertagits ett stort antal katter av Sveriges 21 Länsstyrelser, vanligen i samarbete med lokalt upphandlade katthem som genomfört stora delar av det praktiska arbetet så som bland annat transport och uppstallning. Huruvida alla Länsstyrelser hade upphandlade katthem, hur kraven på dem såg ut samt huruvida de skiljde sig åt mellan länen var inte undersökt tidigare. Detta arbete syftade därför till att skapa en bättre förståelse för hur dessa krav, samt samarbetet katthem och Länsstyrelser emellan såg ut.
Den 1 januari 2023 trädde en ny lag i kraft Sverige, den innebar att alla katter som vistas stadigvarande i landet måste vara ID-märkta och registrerade i Jordbruksverkets nya register. Lagen kunde antas påverka Länsstyrelsens- och därmed även katthemmens arbete. Hur lagen hanterades i praktiken och om det fanns några oklarheter angående den praktiska tillämpningen av lagen var inte känt. Den andra delen i syftet med detta arbete blev således att undersöka detta.
Samtliga Länsstyrelser kontaktades via mail under våren 2023, handlingar avseende huruvida de hade något upphandlat katthem samt eventuella krav som ställts på katthemmen vid en sådan upphandling begärdes ut. Svar erhölls från samtliga Länsstyrelser, det visade sig dock att endast 17 av 21 Länsstyrelser hade upphandlade katthem, vilket såklart väckte frågor kring vad som skett och sker med hemlösa katter i de fyra län som svarade nej. Samtliga avtal undersöktes systematiskt med syftet att finna likheter och skillnader. Konstateras kunde att grunden i avtalen var snarlik men att deras omfattning och nivån av detaljstyrning skiljde sig åt avsevärt, exempelvis ersättningen varierade med mer än 900 % i vissa fall. Anmärkningsvärt var även att i drygt 70 % av de län som hade upphandling så förbehöll sig Länsstyrelsen rätten att på individnivå byta ut katthemmens personal baserat på huruvida Länsstyrelsen upplevde sig ha samarbetssvårigheter med en individ.
Vidare genomfördes åtta intervjuer med upphandlade katthem från olika län där de fick ge sin syn på samarbetet med Länsstyrelserna, hur de upplevde Länsstyrelsernas hantering av hemlösa katter, samt de krav som Länsstyrelserna ställde på dem i upphandlingarna. Vidare ombads de även redogöra för hur de hanterade lagen om märkning och registrering av katter, i praktiken. Katthemmens bild av hur Länsstyrelserna hanterade hemlösa katter varierade, de åsikter som framfördes var dock övervägande av kritisk karaktär. Generellt ansågs Länsstyrelsen ofta vara för försiktig då rådande lagstiftning tolkades, på bekostnad av djurskyddet. Även katthemmens syn på kraven i upphandlingarna varierade. Kraven upplevdes oftast som rimliga men ansågs inte stå i proportion till katthemmens ersättning. Återkommande var temat att katthemmen upplevde att Länsstyrelsen var ovillig att ersätta dem för det arbete de ansåg sig ha rätt att få betalt för. Avseende lagen om märkning och registrering av katter var det endast kring registrering katthemmen förändrat sina rutiner, de uppmanar numera kattägare att registrera sig i Jordbruksverkets register. Frågetecken kring om- och hur katthemmen bör använda sig av registret har retts ut i arbetet genom kontakt med Jordbruksverket. Katthemmen uttryckte sig skeptiskt kring lagens genomslagskraft avseende en minskning av antalet hemlösa katter. Detta så länge en straffskala och tydliga direktiv, helst prejudicerande domar på området, saknas.
Förhoppningen med detta arbete var att rådande förhållanden skulle belysas och att denna kunskap skulle kunna bidra till en mer enhetlig hantering av hemlösa katter på nationell nivå samt att katthemmen skulle känna en ökad trygghet i hur de förväntades använda Jordbruksverkets nya register.

It is estimated that as of today at least 100 000 cats are homeless in Sweden. Annually a large number of cats have been taken into custody by Sweden´s County Administration (CABs), normally in cooperation with locally procured cat-shelters who have carried out a large portion of the practical work, including transport and housing. As to whether the various CABs even had any procured cat shelters, what the demands on these cat shelters were, or whether they were at all different in their ways of operating had previously not been studied. This study has therefore been aimed at creating a greater understanding over how these demands from the CAB have taken shape, in addition to what the cooperation between the two parties has looked like.
On the 1st of January 2023 a new law entered into force requiring all cats that permanently reside within Sweden to be ID-marked and registered with the Swedish Board of Agriculture. The law can be assumed as to have affected the work of the CAB, and therefore also the cat shelters. In practicality, how the new law has been handled and if there has existed any uncertainty regarding its application was not known. The secondary purpose of this study therefore became to investigate and bring to light this information.
The various CABs were collectively contacted by email during the spring of 2023. Official documentation regarding as to whether they had any procured cat shelters, along with any demands that had been placed on the cat shelters by the CABs during such a procurement, was requested for study. Each of the 21 CABs replied, with four saying that they did not have any procured cat shelters. This begged the question as to what happened and happens to the cats in the counties where they have no designated cat shelters. Each contract between CAB and cat shelter was systematically studied to find differences and similarities. What could be concluded was that the fundamentals of the differing contracts were similar to each other. However, it became clear that the scope and detail within the agreement could vary significantly from county to county. An example of this was that the payments received by the cat shelters could vary by more than 900% in certain cases. In addition, it was worth noting that in roughly 70% of the counties that had procured cat shelters, the CAB reserved the right to change personnel at an individual level in the cat shelters if the CAB considered itself to have difficulties cooperating with a certain individual.
Furthermore, interviews were conducted with eight cat shelters from different counties, in which they gave their opinions on their cooperation with the CAB, their thoughts on the CABs handling of homeless cats, as well as the demands that were placed on them by the CAB. In addition, the cat shelters were asked how they dealt with the law regarding the marking and registration of homeless cats in practice. The attitudes regarding the CABs handling of homeless cats varied, with the majority of opinions given being largely critical. In general, the CAB was seen as being too careful in regard to applying the law, at the cost of animal welfare. The cat shelters’ views regarding the demands being placed on them by the CAB after procurement also varied in opinion. The demands were often seen as reasonable but not in proportion to the compensation received. A recurring theme was that many cat shelters experienced that the CAB were unwilling to compensate them for work they believed they should be compensated for. With regards to the law about marking and registration of cats, routines of the cat shelters had only changed regarding registration, with cat shelters urging people to register their cats with the Swedish Board of Agriculture. How the cat shelters should use the registry has given rise to questions that have been solved within the bounds of this study by contacting the Swedish Board of Agriculture. The cat shelters expressed scepticism to the efficiency of the new law in decreasing the number of homeless cats as long as it was lacking in penalties, clear directives and, preferably, prejudicial sentencing for breaking it.
The goal of this study has been to hopefully illuminate current conditions, and that the knowledge garnered could contribute to a more uniform management of homeless cats on a national scale, as well as offering the cat shelters an increased feeling of security in how they are expected to make use of the new registry from the Swedish Board of Agriculture.