Glue traps are a potential danger to cats. They are legal in the USA and the UK to the best of my knowledge. They are pest control devices. They kill ‘pests’ by gluing them to a board where they starve to death. A cruel device. They are banned in e.g., British Columbia, Canada, and New Zealand, but legal in other countries (Humane Society of the United States). In Victoria, Australia glue traps can only be sold to commercial pest control operators with the approval of the Minister for Agriculture (www2.health.vic.gov.au). This is a recognition of the hazard that they represent to non-target animals.
As mentioned, they are legal in the UK but there is a legal obligation to prevent unnecessary suffering. I would have thought that it was almost impossible to comply with this requirement because the device will cause suffering and the device would be unnecessary if a cat was used as pest controller.
I can’t find any rules on their use in the US.
Example
Glue traps are a danger to domestic and stray cats. A good example concerns three community cats in Singapore. Cats of Redhill, on Facebook, tell us that over the past three weeks community cats have been trapped in glue traps put down at Hao Minimart to catch rats.
The store contracted with Rentokill to control pests. A resident saw the trapped cats and contacted Rentokill who removed them. It appears that Rentokill failed to comply with the guidelines for their use as set down by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA).
Guidelines
The guidelines are intended to protect animals other than those deemed pests. For example, they must be used in enclosed areas. The rodents trapped need to be killed humanely. Non-target animals caught in the traps must be released unharmed and the glue removed with baby oil. They should also receive veterinary treatment.
They are barbaric even for pest control.
Agreed. They are gruesome and indiscriminate.
Actually, I have seen them in our Canadian Tire stores. So I can’t say they are banned if they are still being sold here?! Instead of using the traps for rats why not use the cats? They are very efficient in catching rodents and a hell of a safer.