Cats won’t be banned in Scotland, the government confirms
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/02/2025 (305 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
LONDON (AP) — The Scottish government wants everyone to know it does not plan to ban cats.
First Minister John Swinney was forced to issue the statement after a report by independent experts branded felines a threat to Scotland’s wildlife and suggested “containment” measures be considered to reduce the damage.
The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission said cats kill at least 700 million birds and other animals each year in the U.K. It advised the government to consider a range of measures, including keeping domestic cats indoors or on leashes, to protect endangered species such as Scottish wildcats.
The report said “cat containment” measures could also include “restrictions on introducing cats to households in vulnerable areas” -– interpreted by some as effectively a ban.
The Scottish government said it would “fully consider” the recommendations.
In a nation of animal-lovers, the suggestions spawned alarming headlines. The Daily Mail reported: “Fury as households in Scotland could be banned from getting a pet cat.” The Scottish Daily Express branded the idea a “madcap scheme.”
Swinney, who heads Scotland’s semi-autonomous Edinburgh-based government, spoke to journalists to defend the administration’s pro-feline credentials.
“Let me just clear this up today,” he said Monday. “The government’s not going to be banning cats or restricting cats. We’ve no intention of doing so and we will not be doing it.”
Cats Protection, the U.K.’s biggest cat charity, gave the idea of draconian containment measures short shrift, saying “pragmatic solutions like keeping cats indoors at dawn and dusk can balance the needs of domestic cats and wild animals.”
“Scotland is a nation of cat lovers,” said Alice Palombo, the charity’s advocacy and government relations officer for Scotland, with almost a quarter of households owning a feline pet.
“Cats are great pets for all sorts of reasons, whether it’s providing companionship for elderly people or those living alone, comfort for people with health conditions or helping children learn important lessons in caring for others,” she said. “We believe everyone who is able to care for a cat should be able to enjoy these benefits.”