The Scottish government has been forced into issuing a statement saying it does not plan to ban cats. Led by First Minister John Swinney, the government clarified its stance after a report by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission after a report labelled cats a threat to wildlife and suggested “containment” measures be considered to reduce the damage.
The report claims cats kill around 700m birds and animals annually and suggests measures such as keeping cats indoors or using leashes to help protect endangered species, including Scottish wildcats.
The idea of potential containment has caused public uproar, resulting in headlines suggesting a ban on pet cats, which the government firmly denied.
Charity Cats Protection advocated for reasonable solutions like keeping cats indoors around dawn and dusk, asserting the importance of cats as pets in many households across Scotland.
