The Scottish government has reassured the public that it has no plans to ban cats, following reports that suggested containment measures could be introduced to protect the country’s wildlife.
First Minister John Swinney was compelled to state after an independent expert report labelled domestic felines as a threat to Scotland’s biodiversity. The report, published by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission, claimed that cats kill around 700 million birds and small animals annually in the U.K. and suggested measures such as keeping them indoors or on leashes.
The report’s recommendations, which included limiting cat ownership in certain areas, sparked public outrage and sensational headlines. The Daily Mail warned of a potential ban on pet cats, while the Scottish Daily Express criticized the suggestion as a “madcap scheme.”
In response, Swinney clarified the government’s stance. “Let me just clear this up today,” he told journalists on 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.”
While the government won’t be enforcing strict containment policies, discussions around protecting endangered species like Scottish wildcats remain ongoing. The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission believes measures should be considered to minimize the ecological impact of domestic cats.
However, leading animal welfare groups, including Cats Protection, dismissed extreme containment ideas.
Alice Palombo, the charity’s advocacy officer for Scotland, emphasized that pragmatic solutions—such as keeping cats indoors at dawn and dusk—could help balance conservation efforts without restricting pet ownership.
“Scotland is a nation of cat lovers,” she said, noting that nearly a quarter of Scottish households own a feline companion.
For now, Scottish cat owners can rest easy knowing their pets are safe from any government-imposed restrictions—at least for the foreseeable future.
