I was reading a story online about a roaming cat that got its paw stuck in a leg-hold trap set by a neighbour.

This case was in the Canadian city of Regina – although we’ve certainly had similar occurrences here in New Zealand recently.

Something else that caught my attention, however, was that Regina has a bylaw against roaming cats, and the fine for a first offence is C$100, or about NZ$130.

“It’s far safer and far healthier for [pets] to stay inside,” says Bill Thorn, director of marketing for the Regina Humane Society. “The dangers outside and the things they can run into far outweigh any negatives of them staying inside.”

The cat owner in this story is quoted as saying she knew about the bylaw, but she still let her cat roam the neighbourhood. Unfortunately, the poor cat is paying the price for her actions.