Not an isolated case – cat dies because pool was not covered

A pool without a cover was fatal to a cat in Oberkulm AG. The animal had been missing for a few days and was then found dead in a private swimming pool. It is not an isolated case, as Esther Geisser, President of the animal protection organization Netap, says when asked: “We get reports like this all the time. Already three in January alone! The number of unreported cases is certainly very high.”

When the bathing season is over, many pool owners do not drain the water completely. If the pool is not covered, this can end in death for an animal. “If a cat or other animal is on the run, they may fall into the pool and drown,” says Geisser to 20 minutes. As a pool owner, you can easily prevent this by covering the pool with a tarpaulin or otherwise securing the pool. “Many do not secure their pool, however, because the cover under the snow masses could be overloaded.”

And further: “Since you are less outdoors in winter, you notice the drowning animals then certainly not.» For Geisser it is clear: «They are long and painful deaths, because the animals can basically swim and fight for their lives for a long time. It is very negligent not to secure a pool.” Netap advises owners to keep an eye out in their area and, if necessary, to seek dialogue with owners of unsecured pools.

The callers who report their cats found dead in the pool to Netap are often devastated. «The sadness is immense. The animals are family members or sometimes even the only companion of the relatives», said the president of the animal protection organization.

Unfortunately, there are always pool owners who still do not want to cover their pool. «I would definitely try to take action against unreasonable people. It’s not difficult to secure a pool. I can well imagine that a judge would decide in favor of a cat owner», says lawyer Geisser. She also hopes that in the future fines can be imposed if an animal is killed through such negligent behavior.