Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 31 October 2025

Publisher / Data Controller: MEOWOOF LIMITED
13 Adelaide Road, Dublin D02 P950, Ireland
Company Number: 755310

Email: privacy@cats.ie

1. Introduction

Cats.ie is operated by MEOWOOF LIMITED, an Irish-registered company providing an online platform for cat owners, breeders, rescues, and pet services.

We respect your privacy and comply with:

  1. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR – Regulation 2016/679),
  2. The Irish Data Protection Act 2018, and
  3. The ePrivacy (Electronic Communications) Regulations 2011.

This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and the rights you have under data-protection law.

Use of our website is governed by our

2. Who Controls Your Data

The data controller responsible for your personal information is:

MEOWOOF LIMITED
13 Adelaide Road, Dublin D02 P950, Ireland
Email: privacy@cats.ie

We may use trusted processors (e.g. web-hosting, payment, and email providers) under strict contracts ensuring your data remains secure and processed only under our instructions.

3. What Information We Collect

We collect personal data in the following ways:

3.1 Account Registration

  1. Name or business name
  2. Email address (for verification)
  3. Mobile number (for SMS verification)
  4. County and town/city
  5. Optional: nickname, profile photo, Eircode, bio

3.2 Listings & Services

  1. Listing information (e.g. cat details, price, description, photos, videos)
  2. Optional breeder/rescue/service registration numbers

3.3 Payments

  1. We do not store or process payment card details directly.
  2. All transactions are handled through WooCommerce using Stripe and PayPal, which are PCI-DSS-compliant processors.
  3. MEOWOOF LIMITED is not VAT-registered, so all prices are VAT-free.

3.4 Giveaways (RafflePress)

  1. Name, email, county, and entry actions (e.g. follows, shares).
  2. Information is used solely to manage giveaways and notify winners

3.5 Communication

  1. Messages sent via contact forms, support email, or internal messaging.
  2. Newsletter and promotional subscriptions (with explicit consent).

3.6 Cookies & Analytics

  1. Cookies and tracking technologies managed via Cookiebot.
  2. Analytics data (e.g. page views, browser type, approximate location) processed by Google Analytics with anonymised IPs.

4. How We Use Your Information

We process personal data based on:

  • Contractual necessity (to provide services such as listings).
  • Legal obligations (complying with Irish/EU law).
  • Legitimate interests (fraud prevention, platform improvement).
  • Consent (marketing emails, optional cookies, push notifications).

5. How We Use Your Data

We process your data only when we have a lawful basis under Article 6 GDPR.

Purpose Example Lawful Basis
Account creation & authentication
Registering on Cats.ie
Contractual necessity
Listing publication
Displaying ads or services
Contractual necessity
Payment & billing
Processing listing upgrades
Contractual necessity
Communication
Contact between users, support
Legitimate interest
Giveaways
Managing entries & prizes
Consent
Marketing emails
Newsletters, updates
Consent (opt-in)
Security & fraud prevention
Moderation, spam control
Legitimate interest
Legal compliance
Fulfilling legal obligations
Legal obligation

We never sell or rent your personal data.

5. Sharing of Information

We share your information only when necessary to operate the service:

  • With payment processors (Stripe, PayPal)
  • With giveaway software (RafflePress)
  • With email and hosting providers (secure EU/EEA or equivalent-protection servers)
  • With law enforcement or authorities if required by law

All partners operate under GDPR-compliant Data Processing Agreements (DPAs).

7. Data Retention

Data Type Retention Period
User accounts
While active + 12 months after deletion
Listings & messages
Up to 12 months after expiry
Financial records
7 years (for accounting compliance)
Giveaway entries
12 months post-draw
Support correspondence
24 months

After expiry, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

7. Your Rights

Under GDPR you have the right to:
 1. Access – receive a copy of your data.
 2. Rectification – correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
 3. Erasure (“Right to be forgotten”).
 4. Restriction – limit how we process your data.
 5. Portability – request a machine-readable export.
 6. Objection – object to certain processing (e.g., marketing).
 7. Withdraw Consent – unsubscribe or update preferences anytime.

Requests should be emailed to privacy@cats.ie.
We respond within 30 days, as required by GDPR.

If you are unsatisfied, you may contact the Data Protection Commission (DPC) at www.dataprotection.ie.

8. Cookies

Cats.ie uses cookies to:

  • Maintain login sessions and preferences
  • Enable secure transactions
  • Measure traffic and improve usability

Cookie management is provided by Cookiebot, which presents the consent banner and detailed cookie list.
You can change or withdraw consent anytime via the Cookiebot widget.

For full details, see our Cookie Policy.

9. International Data Transfers

Most data is stored within the European Economic Area (EEA).
If transfer outside the EEA occurs (e.g. via US-based processors), it is protected by Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission.

10. Security

We apply technical and organisational safeguards including:

  • HTTPS encryption site-wide
  • Password hashing and salted storage
  • 2-factor authentication (optional)
  • Regular security updates and backups
  • Limited internal access to data on a “need-to-know” basis

Despite our measures, no online service can be 100 % secure; users share data at their own discretion.

11. Children’s Privacy

Cats.ie is not directed at children under 16.
If we learn that a child’s data was submitted without parental consent, we will delete it promptly

12. Updates to This Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated occasionally to reflect operational or legal changes.
The revision date will always appear at the top of this page.
We encourage users to check it regularly.

Contact

For all data-protection questions, please contact:

Cats.ie Data Protection Officer
Email : privacy@cats.ie
Address: MEOWOOF LIMITED, 13 Adelaide Road, Dublin D02 P950, Ireland