Purchase · sale · Danish Purchase Act · October 6, 2026
New rules in the Danish Purchase Act – what do they mean when you buy or sell a cat?
On September 3, 2026, the Danish Sales Act was amended. The amendment applies to goods in general – and legally, live animals are also considered goods. Therefore, the new rules can have a direct impact when a cat is sold in a consumer purchase.
First: Is the transaction a consumer purchase?
This is crucial. The special consumer rules apply when a private buyer deals with a seller who is legally considered a trader. This does not mean that every person with one litter is automatically a trader. However, you can be considered a trader even if the breeding is called a hobby, and even if you do not have a CVR number or are VAT registered.
Forbrug.dk specifically highlights repeated sales – for example, a person who breeds animals several times with the intention of selling them – as something that can lead to the sale being assessed as a consumer purchase. This always depends on a specific assessment.
The complaint period is still two years.
The basic complaint period has not been changed. In the case of a consumer purchase, the starting point is still that the buyer can complain about a defect for up to two years from the day the cat was delivered.
It is important to distinguish between a mangel and an illness or problem that only arises later. The Danish Sales Act deals with defects that were present at the time of delivery – or had their cause at that time – even if they only become apparent later.
What's new: Remediation can extend the deadline
If a deficiency becomes remedied according to the rules of the Sales Act, the complaint period is extended once by 12 months. This means that the total period can be three years from the original delivery of the cat.
It is therefore not three years from the day the treatment is carried out. Example: If the cat moves from home on October 1, 2026, and a defect in the purchase contract is later remedied, the total complaint period in the relevant case can run until October 1, 2029.
What does “remedy” mean for a cat?
In the case of live animals, remediation will typically mean that a defect can be treated and that the seller, as part of handling a justified complaint, arranges for or pays for, for example, veterinary treatment or surgery.
It is not enough for the buyer to have the cat treated and then send the bill. In non-urgent matters, the seller should be contacted first so that the parties can agree on the course of action and obtain documentation that this is actually a complaint and a remedy under the Danish Sales Act.
A price reduction is not the same as remediation
If the buyer and seller instead agree on a proportional reduction in the purchase price, this is not in itself a remedy. The new 12-month extension is linked to the defect being remedied by remedy.
The extension applies to the entire cat.
According to the new rules, it is not only the specific defect that has been remedied that is covered by the extended period. The complaint period is extended for the item sold as a whole. However, a later complaint must still relate to a defect that was present at the time of delivery or had its cause there.
Live animals continue to have a special six-month rule
If a defect becomes apparent within the first six months after the delivery of a live animal, the defect is generally presumed to have been present at the time of delivery, unless this is incompatible with the nature of the animal or the defect. During this period, it is therefore the seller who must prove that the defect was not present at the time of transfer.
After the six months, the burden of proof reverses, so the buyer must be able to demonstrate that the cause of the defect was present at the time of delivery.
This does not mean a three-year health guarantee
A breeder does not have to guarantee that a cat will never get sick for three years. The rules still deal with defects in the law of purchase that are related to the conditions of delivery. An illness, injury or suffering that only occurs later without connection to the delivery does not automatically become the seller's responsibility.
What should the breeder do?
- Use a clear, written purchase agreement and describe the cat's purpose if selling for something other than regular pet cat keeping.
- Provide written information about known errors, illnesses, examinations and other conditions that may affect the purchase.
- Save health certificates, laboratory results, correspondence and agreements regarding any complaints.
- In the event of a complaint: first clarify what is specifically being complained about and how any treatment should be handled.
- Clearly document if the seller agrees to pay or arrange treatment to remedy a defect.
And what should the buyer do?
- Read the contract and information about the cat carefully before purchasing.
- Contact the seller quickly and in writing if a problem arises that may be a defect.
- Save veterinary records, test results, invoices and correspondence.
- In non-urgent matters: give the seller the opportunity to address the complaint before ordering treatment at the seller's expense.
A cat is still not a coffee machine
The words and solutions of the Danish Sales Act are written for goods in general. When the “good” is a living animal, the rules on remedy, replacement and cancellation cannot be handled completely mechanically. The welfare of the cat should be the center of the practical solution, while both the buyer and seller know their rights and obligations.
Sources and disclaimers: The article is based on the amendment to the Danish Purchase Act that came into force on September 3, 2026, as well as guidance from the Danish Kennel Club and Forbrug.dk. See Legal information, DKK's legal guidance og Forbrug.dk about consumer purchasesThis is general information and not individual legal advice.