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CITES in relation to cats — Contents

• Cat listed in Appendix I – most endangered
• Appendix I – Restrictions & controls on trade
• The Parties to the Convention

July 2012: Wild Cats are generally listed in Appendix II except for those listed below. The complication is that some of the cats listed in Appendix I have qualifications attached to them, meaning that the classification only applies to a cat of the species that lives at a certain location.

Appendix I most endangered – CITES in relation to cats

As stated, this is a list from Appendix I of CITES. What does that mean? Appendix I lists the species that are the most endangered amongst the CITES listed animals and plants. All the wildcat species that are listed by CITES are most endangered except, as mentioned, in the table above (see Rusted Spotted Cat, Leopard Cat and Caracal, which are appendix II listed when these cats inhabit certain areas as mentioned in the table above). Appendix II lists species that are not “necessarily now threatened with extinction” but careful control of trade is required to prevent the species being listed in appendix I.

The cats listed above are threatened with extinction. Under CITES in relation to cats, international trade is prohibited with respect to the above listed wildcats.

There is an exception. Import/export is permitted when the purpose is non-commercial. This would seem to leave the door very firmly open, unfortunately. If import/export is to take place under this exception an import and export permit must be granted (not sure how good that is).

Article III of CITES sets out the trade regulations is relation to the above wild cats. In brief, the import, export or re-import of any of the above cats can only take place provided a permit has been granted after

1. a “Scientific Authority” of the State concerned (country concerned) has advised that the import/export/re-import is not detrimental to the cat’s survival
2. a “Management Authority” of the country concerned is satisfied that the wild cat was not obtained in contravention of the laws of the country concerned and that a living wild cat is shipped in way that minimizes risk of injury, damage to health or cruel treatment and further that the import/export/re-import permit has been obtained.

{note: this is not a verbatim recital, it is a summary. Please see full text if action is to be taken}

The Parties to the Convention – CITES in relation to cats

The CITES in relation to cats to Cats and the Law

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