The Cat Manifesto Scotland | Campaigns

Cats Protection has been leading the way to campaign to make sure cats are not forgotten by decision makers in Scotland.

The Cat Manifesto Scotland sets out our five key areas we want to see action taken on to ensure cats are protected.

We want to see changes made to ensure all cats are able to live free from cruelty, exploitation and suffering.

Give cats their best life

All cats in Scotland deserve the best start and to be well cared for throughout their life. Cats need to be protected from both those who knowingly exploit them for profit, and those who may unintentionally cause them harm.

Review regulations on cat breeding
Ban the breeding of cats with extreme characteristics
Review the animal welfare establishments and rehoming regulations
Tackle activities that are harmful to cats, such as cat cafés, cat yoga and cat daycare
Regulate those who provide activities involving cats, such as cat groomers and cat sitters

End cruelty to cats

Cats face violence and cruelty far too often. We need stronger laws to protect cats from cruelty.

Change the law on dogs attacking cats to hold owners responsible
End the sale and use of cruel aversive training devices like electronic shock collars
Make cat theft a specific offence

Protect cats in a digital world

Cats are becoming part of the digital world as more of our lives are spent online. Cats are being harmed due to a lack of action by social media companies and other websites.

Tighten up rules on selling cats online to make sure cats and buyers are protected
Encourage advertisers and the media to show cats responsibly
Encourage social media companies to take harmful content seriously and swiftly remove any content containing animal abuse

Recognise cats as family

Cats provide important companionship and support for many people. Cats Protection is calling for recognition of the importance of cats to their families. We support laws which keep cats and their owners together.

Introduce compulsory microchipping of pet cats and create a single point of search for microchip databases
Encourage pet-friendly rented housing
Include animal welfare on the curriculum
Acknowledge the benefits of cats to people’s wellbeing
Raise awareness of the welfare issues of cat hoarding and multi-cat households

Keep cats safe and secure

Cats are sometimes put in danger by parts of life that we may not realise impact them, such as fireworks displays and certain flowers. We are calling for better education about how cats can be impacted by humans.

Promote better labelling of toxic products like lilies
Restrict the use of fireworks

How can MSPs help?

If you are a Member of the Scottish Parliament and want to support our cat welfare action plan for Scotland, please contact our Advocacy & Government Relations team at advocacy@cats.org.uk

Read The Cat Manifesto Scotland