Ms Haughey met with staff and volunteers at the centre before enjoying a behind-the-scenes tour where she met some of the cats currently looking for new homes.

Cats Protection speaks up for the 900,000 pet cats in Scotland, and has a Scottish network of 24 volunteer-run branches, four adoption centres, and nine charity shops. In 2021, the charity rehomed 2,500 cats in Scotland.

As the leading voice on cat welfare, Cats Protection is calling on the Scottish Government and politicians to introduce measures to help improve feline welfare, including the introduction of compulsory microchipping for owned cats.

Clare Haughey MSP, who is also Minister for Children and Young People, said: “It was a great pleasure to visit Cats Protection’s Glasgow Adoption Centre and see the hard work that goes in to helping cats in need. I was particularly interested to hear about the charity’s free education talks to schools and colleges. I believe the lives of children and young people can be enriched by helping to care for pets.”

Cats Protection’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland Alice Palombo said: “We were so pleased to welcome Clare to the centre to discuss the work we do to help cats, such as encouraging pet-friendly rented housing. We also discussed our campaign for the compulsory microchipping of pet cats in Scotland, a measure that would help protect countless cats into the future. It’s great to see politicians taking a keen interest in cat welfare, which is an important issue for many people.”