Cats Protection is leading the way in helping create a better future for cats in Scotland. From working with the government on important issues like banning kitten sales in pet shops, to promoting pet-friendly tenancies – we speak up for cats and the people who love them.

However, there is more to be done. There are 785,000 owned cats in Scotland – that’s one for almost every seven people! But despite being one of Scotland’s favourite pets, too many cats continue to be victims of cruelty, neglect or poor welfare.

We are calling on politicians at Holyrood to improve cat welfare in Scotland through our five-point action plan. We want:

• Compulsory microchipping of pet cats to reunite more cats with their owners.
• More private landlords to allow tenants to keep pets.
• Effective implementation of laws on kitten sales and breeding.
• A ban on snares which are cruel and inhumane and cause immense suffering to cats and other animals caught in them.
• Animal welfare added to the Scottish National Curriculum to help children understand responsible pet ownership.

Download the full action plan for Scotland’s cats here

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

You may also find our CATS (Cats and Their Stats) 2020 Scotland report useful, containing facts and figures based on a survey of 1,634 cat and non-cat owners.

How can the public get involved?

You can help us speak up for cats by supporting our campaigns to give our feline friends the protection they deserve.

If you have been affected by any of our campaigning issues recently (within the last six months) then case studies are always helpful so please send them to campaigns@cats.org.uk

The Time is Meow: a cat welfare action plan for the Scottish Government outlines our top campaigning issues to improve cat welfare.

Download the full guide