Tighter conditions for the use of mouse poisons

Veterinarians and cat owners around Sweden have recently witnessed an increase in cases of poisoned cats. Many who have come to animal clinics have exhibited poisoning symptoms such as flakiness, breathing problems and sensitivity to sound and light.

The suspicions quickly fell on mouse agents containing the poison alpha chloralose. It has been marketed as harmless to pets but veterinarians say that everything is indicative of secondary poisoning. Thus, the cats ate mice that had received alpha chloralosis.

"It has caused a lot of problems and caused a lot of damage especially to cats lately," said Åsa Rising, head of the clinic at Djursjukhuset in Sundsvall when SVT noticed that two cats in Timrå were poisoned in late November.

The Swedish Chemicals Agency has noted that poisoning cases have increased and has therefore decided to tighten the conditions of use for the mouse agents.

Under the new conditions, alpha-chloralose agents may only be used professionally after completion of training and the product may not be used in environments where cats can be expected to occur. Dead mice should be collected. The new terms apply immediately to both sales and use. As before, the condition still applies only to the use of indoors and in specific grazing stations.

Products with alpha chloralose are approved throughout the EU. Discussions have now begun between the EU countries if the rules need to be changed throughout the EU.