The UK’s biggest cat charity Cats Protection has again welcomed the Pet Abduction Bill after it cleared another hurdle through parliament yesterday.
The Bill – proposed by Anna Firth MP – will give cats and their owners greater protection in law and help prevent pet theft.
Annabel Berdy, Senior Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Cats Protection said: “This proposed law is a desperately needed safety net for the nation’s pets, helping to stamp out the criminals who prey on much-loved animals.
“Pet abduction is a particularly nasty crime, often leaving owners in permanent limbo about the fate of their pets and putting the animals themselves at high risk of mistreatment.
“Currently, the theft of an animal is regarded in law as being level with the theft of a mobile phone – and that is clearly not the case. Pets are not merely property – they are sentient beings, capable of suffering pain and fear, and are utterly irreplaceable to their owners.
“A new and specific offence will also enable police to build an accurate picture of pet theft across England and Northern Ireland by requiring a specific log, as opposed to the current situation where pet theft is recorded as property theft.”
The charity added that the new law would help tackle the backstreet market in purebred cats and kittens, driven by a growing demand for pedigrees.
Annabel said: “More than 40 per cent of all cats obtained in the last 12 months were pedigree, and criminals will no doubt capitalise on this demand. They may target pedigree cats for onward sale, or – if they’re unneutered – keep them as breeding animals to produce litter after litter of kittens to sell.
“We’re hugely encouraged to see the Pet Abduction Bill making such swift progress through parliament and will be working tirelessly with other animal charities and politicians to push it forwards. We cannot let this important opportunity to protect pets and owners slip through our hands.”
Cats Protection is the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and has helped an average of 157,000 cats and kittens a year over the last five years through its national network which includes around 210 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres.
New law will create a new specific offence for dog and cat abduction
A new criminal offence for pet abduction took a significant step forward yesterday with the announcement of government backing for new legislation.
Under the Pet Abduction Bill – a Private Member’s Bill sponsored by Anna Firth MP – anyone found guilty of stealing a pet will face up to five years in prison, a fine, or both.
By supporting the Pet Abduction Bill, the Government is delivering on pledges made in its Action Plan for Animal Welfare. This recognised that cats and dogs are not inanimate objects but sentient beings capable of experiencing distress and other emotional trauma when they are stolen from their owners or keepers.
Evidence from the Pet Theft Taskforce suggests that around 2,000 dog theft and over 400 cat theft crimes were reported to police in 2020, causing considerable distress for owners and their pets alike. With an estimated 28% of UK adults owning a dog and 24% owning a cat, pet theft is a major concern to the public.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said: “As a dog owner myself, I appreciate deeply what treasured members of the family dogs and cats are. It is a deeply traumatic experience for both the owner and the pet when they are stolen.
“This vital Bill will recognise the severity of this shocking crime and should act as a deterrent to anyone considering stealing a dog or cat. We will do all we can to support its swift passage through Parliament.”
Anna Firth MP said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Pet Abduction Bill has passed its second reading, and will move on to Committee stage. As a nation of pet-lovers, it is vital that the law recognises the emotional impact that the abduction of a pet can have, and brings the perpetrators to justice that correctly reflects this.
“Pets are not merely property like a smartphone or watch – they are part of the family. It is not right that the law does not distinguish this and I am delighted that my bill will redress this wrong.”
Friday’s announcement builds upon wider work to protect pets from theft, including making it compulsory to microchip all pet cats and dogs in, making it easier for lost, stray or stolen pets to be reunited with their owners and returned home safely.
This builds on the Government’s efforts to enhance ‘our world-leading standards of animal welfare’. The UK was the first country in the world to introduce animal cruelty offences and is the highest ranked G7 nation according to World Animal Protection’s Index. Our flagship Action Plan for Animal Welfare committed us to going even further to protect animals.
The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill – which is only possible now we have left the European Union – was introduced to Parliament last month and will put an end to the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain, stopping animals enduring unnecessary stress, exhaustion and injury on long journeys.
Since publishing the Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021, we have also brought in new laws to recognise animal sentience, introduced tougher penalties for animal cruelty offences; extended the ivory ban to cover other ivory bearing species; introduced legislation to ban the keeping of primates as pets and supported legislation to ban glue traps, the import of detached shark fins and measures to ban the advertising and offering for sale of low welfare activities abroad.
The UK’s biggest cat charity Cats Protection has welcomed the Pet Abduction Bill, following its second reading.The charity says the Private Members Bill – proposed by Anna Firth MP – would give cats and their owners greater protection in law and help prevent pet theft.
In particular, the proposals would help tackle the backstreet market in purebred cats and kittens, driven by a growing demand for pedigrees.
Cats Protection’s Senior Advocacy & Government Relations Officer Annabel Berdy said: “No matter what the animal, pet abduction is a particularly abhorrent crime, leaving owners devastated and pets at high risk of mistreatment.
“Most cat owners share a deep emotional bond with their pet and consider them part of the family. When cats are stolen, it rips that companionship away, and leaves owners living with the nightmare of not knowing how their cat is being treated or if they’ll ever be reunited.
“More than 40% of all cats obtained in the last 12 months were pedigree, and this hasn’t gone un-noticed by those who want to profit in animal trade at any cost.
“These unscrupulous sellers will be looking to profit either by selling stolen cats to unsuspecting buyers, or keeping them to breed kittens for onward sale.
“Clearly, we are incredibly concerned about the welfare of these cats and kittens and this proposed law has the potential to be a much-needed deterrent to stamp out this market.
“We look forward to continuing to work with other animal charities and politicians to help push this Bill forwards and bring about better protections for pet owners and pets alike.”
Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and has helped an average of 157,000 cats and kittens a year over the last five years through its national network which includes around 210 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres.
A charity which provides free and confidential foster care for pet cats while their owners flee domestic abuse is looking to recruit more volunteer fosterers this January.
Cats Protection’s Lifeline service offers temporary care for cats in a home environment, enabling survivors to get to safety knowing their cat will be looked after until they can be reunited.
But in order to help more people, the charity is in desperate need of more volunteer fosterers who can offer a temporary home to a cat in need.
Cats Protection’s Lifeline Manager Amy Hyde said: “Many people want to start a New Year by making a resolution to help others, and joining our Lifeline team as a volunteer cat fosterer could be the perfect opportunity.
“Not only do our volunteers help cats, they also provide an opportunity for victim-survivors to get to safety knowing that their beloved pet cat will also be safe.
“We know that in cases of domestic abuse, pets are often targeted as a way to control or coerce a victim-survivor into staying. And as most refuges are unable to accept pets, this can be a significant barrier for people seeking support and safe housing.
“By offering free and confidential cat foster care, Lifeline helps to remove that barrier and gives victim-survivors the time, space and opportunity they need to get to a safe place.”
Referrals to Lifeline – previously called Paws Protect – come from either owners themselves or a support worker. Once in Lifeline’s care, cats are given a full health check before going to a Lifeline volunteer fosterer who is provided with everything they need to make sure the cat remains happy and healthy until they can be reunited with their owner.
After supporting cats in the South East for almost 20 years, Lifeline was recently able to expand into Yorkshire, East Anglia and the Midlands.
“We’ve fostered over 330 cats during 2023, enabling over 200 owners to get to safety but we need more cat fosterers to turn it into a UK-wide service.” said Amy.
Cats Protection is the UK’s largest cat charity, helping an average of 157,000 cats and kittens every year through a network of over 210 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres.
To find out more about becoming a volunteer, or other ways to support the Lifeline service, please visit www.cats.org.uk/lifelineservice
If you are experiencing domestic abuse or know someone who is, please contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, anytime on 0808 2000 247.
Careers in animal welfare are being explored in a series of engaging and fun talks for Scottish Careers Week, aimed at learners aged 11 and upwards.
Cats Protection is running eight live events during the week (13 – 19 Nov) with employees from around the feline welfare charity, offering an insight into the variety of jobs it offers.
Classes, groups, and individuals can sign up to the morning and afternoon live events, knowing they have been devised to help young people understand and develop their career aspirations.
The live streams include talks by the Veterinary team, who will talk about how their work shapes the way cats are cared for; the Advocacy team, which works to influence politicians and policy makers to create a better world for cats; and the Retail team, which runs the charity’s shop chain that raises vital money to support cats in need.
During each 30-minute session, attendees will meet a different person who will give the inside scoop on the skills, experience and qualifications needed for their role as well as sharing some fun stories. Also featuring a live Q&A, attendees can discover more from the experts to inspire their future paths.
Cats Protection’s Scottish Community Education Officer Alison Cameron-Russell said: “We aim to help students to better understand the job market and how they can develop their strengths to be successful in developing their careers. While adhering to the Career Education Standard 3-18, the talks are designed to be insightful, engaging and fun.”
Talk times and Cats Protection colleagues taking part:
o Monday, 13 November 2:00pm-2:30pm – Veterinary Team o Tuesday, 14 November 9:30am-10:00am – Volunteering Team o Tuesday, 14 November 2:00pm-2:30pm – Glasgow Adoption Centre o Wednesday, 15 November 9:30am-10:00am – Advocacy Team o Wednesday, 15 November 2:00pm-2:30pm – Behaviour Team o Thursday, 16 November 9:30am-10:00am – Retail Team o Thursday, 16 November 2:00pm-2:30pm – Community Engagement Team o Friday, 17 November 9:30am-10:00am – Cat Welfare Learning Team
This summer at Cats Protection we’re inviting cat lovers to hold a Pawsome Tea anytime, anywhere. Whether you choose to hold a casual coffee morning or a yummy bake sale at work, any funds raise will then be put towards our vital cat welfare work.
By taking part you’ll be truly ‘baking a difference’ for cats in need and you can choose whether to donate to your local branch or centre or to the charity as a whole.
With every pot of tea poured, biscuit dunked and cake cut you will help give our feline friends a chance at finding their furever home. A £10 donation could feed a cat in care for 50 days, while £50 would cover neutering a cat or kitten.
At Cats Protection we help an average of 157,000 cats and kittens a year through our national network which includes around 210 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres. Our vision is to help people see the world through cats’ eyes and your cat-themed tea will help us achieve that goal.
Anyone wishing to take part can sign up by visiting:
where you will also find plenty of resources to make planning your event a piece of cake – from DIY bunting and invitations to recipe ideas and advertising posters. We can’t wait to have a cuppa with you!
Nearly 40 MSPs visited a Holyrood exhibition held by the charity Cats Protection to highlight how cats – and the people who care for them – can be better protected in law.
The exhibition, sponsored by Marie McNair MSP, was attended by 38 politicians and was a chance to discuss measures to improve feline welfare in Scotland, including the introduction of compulsory microchipping for pet cats and increasing the availability of cat-friendly rented housing.
Cats Protection’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland Alice Palombo said: “Scotland is a nation of pet lovers and cats are a particularly popular pet, with nearly one in four households owning one. So it was great to see so many politicians coming along to find out what they can do to ensure cats receive the protection in law that they deserve.
“Among the key measures we discussed was the need for compulsory microchipping of pet cats in Scotland. This is something which will soon be introduced for cats in England and it’s important that Scottish cats are not left behind.
“We also talked about what MSPs can do to ensure there is more cat-friendly housing available in the private and social rented sectors. So many people now rent their homes yet too many are being denied the chance to own a pet cat and we believe this must change.”
As well as discussing the charity’s campaigns, politicians also found out more about its hands-on work to support cats and the people who care about them, with staff from Cats Protection’s Veterinary, Behaviour and Community Engagement teams on hand to answer questions.
Cats Protection, the UK’s leading feline welfare charity, has a Scottish network of 24 volunteer-run branches, three adoption centres and nine charity shops, which also offer advice on cat care.
In 2022, the charity rehomed 2,500 cats in Scotland and helped neuter 11,100 cats and microchip 4,400 cats.
To find out more about Cats Protection, please visit www.cats.org.uk
I am writing to encourage your readers to consider a moggy when thinking about giving a cat a new home.
Our latest survey revealed 38% of cats acquired in 2022 (or 600,000 cats) were pedigrees, such as Ragdolls or Scottish Folds, while 47% (or 750,000 cats) were moggies (cats produced through non-selective breeding such as a domestic short or longhair). This is the narrowest gap that we have seen between pedigrees and moggies in memory.
As a result, Cats Protection is celebrating moggies this spring and encouraging would-be owners to look past a breed or current social media led trends. Moggies have just as much personality and affection to share as pedigrees, they also tend to be less expensive both at the outset and over the course of their lifetime.
There are thousands of moggies needing new homes across Cats Protection’s network of branches and centres who are all vet-checked, microchipped, neutered if old enough, and arrive in their new homes with four weeks’ free insurance.
Further details of the benefits of welcoming a moggy into your life can be found at www.cats.org.uk/morethanjustamoggy; we also have lots of good advice about acquiring a pedigree cat including some potential pitfalls at www.cats.org.uk/pedigrees.
I would like to send my personal thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, who have been supporting Cats Protection since 2018.
During that time, funds raised by players have enabled us to help and care for around 10,000 cats and kittens in our adoption centres across England, Scotland and Wales, while they await their forever homes.
In addition, they have also helped us provide cat behaviour expertise to our cat care volunteers and staff and adopters; run our Paws to Listen grief support service to help bereaved cat owners; and speak up for cats to help create positive change for cat welfare via our advocacy work.
Thank you to all the players of People’s Postcode Lottery for your ongoing support. Together we create a better world for cats.
Anyone wishing to adopt a cat or support Cats Protection, or seeking advice on cat welfare, can find out more at www.cats.org.uk
Cat owners are cutting back on pet essentials such as vet care, vaccinations, and insurance as a result of the cost of living crisis, according to new research from Cats Protection.
The leading feline welfare charity is seeing a rise in people giving up their cats for financial reasons and is warning there could be an animal welfare crisis as a direct result of the cost of living.
Cats Protection has launched an online hub to support owners in need with a raft of information including how to look after your cat on a budget and how to access help with costs.
One in three* cat owners surveyed said they feel “greatly impacted” by the cost of living crisis, while nearly one in five (18%) said they were spending less on vet services, including missing essential vaccinations or not microchipping their pet.
Meanwhile, nearly one in three (31%) of cat owners said they are concerned about how they would pay emergency vet bills if their cat became sick or injured, with nearly one in five (18%) concerned about paying for routine vet treatment. The charity says this represents tens of thousands of cats whose welfare could now be at risk.
A quarter of cat owners (25%) said they are spending less on pet insurance because of the cost of living and 17% are concerned about paying for insurance in the future.
Alison Richards, Head of Clinical Services at Cats Protection said: “We know the cost of living is having a huge impact on people across the country, with many cat owners making difficult choices to make ends meet. Cutting back on insurance or vet treatment can ultimately lead to higher costs if a cat becomes injured, gravely unwell, or even pregnant.
“We’ve launched a new information hub with lots of tips and ideas for looking after your cat on a budget, with everything from how to make free cat toys to how to access help with costs such as neutering. We want to provide access to information and resources that can help every owner look after their cat.”
Cat owners also reported cutting back on spending, with more than half spending less on eating out or takeaways, days out, clothes, drinking and holidays. The survey also showed that 60% of owners feel their cat is a source of comfort to them during a difficult time.
Adoption centres are also seeing a rise in people giving up their cats for financial reasons.
Nicola Murray, deputy manager at Cats Protection’s Harrow Homing Centre, said: “The cost of living is having a greater impact on animal welfare than Covid. We’ve got desperate people turning up on our doorstep every week and our waiting lists for people wishing to give their cat up are several weeks long.
“People need more information and support for managing their cats during this time as no one should have to give up a much loved pet during a time of crisis.”
*Survey of 3,011 cat owners in the UK, conducted by Basis on behalf of Cats Protection. Fieldwork completed in December 2022.
Cat lovers have just days left to enter their favourite furry friend into this year’s National Cat Awards. Run by the charity Cats Protection, the annual event celebrates the nation’s most marvellous moggies, with heart-warming tales of devotion, courage and companionship.
Owners now have until noon on Friday 24 February to nominate their cat in one of four categories:
Cat Colleagues – Celebrating cats who bring joy to the workplace or make working from home a pleasure.
Family Fur-ever – Recognising cats that make a family complete, whether they’re a child’s best friend or a comforting sofa buddy.
Moggy Marvels – Jaw-dropping stories of survival, heroism and companionship in the cat world.
Social Star – Paying tribute to cats who spread joy on social media.
Cats Protection’s Chief Executive John May said: “Every year, we’re amazed by the incredible entries we receive to the National Cat Awards, and this year is no different. From hero cats that saved the day to the family moggy who has become a child’s best friend, all the entries show why cats make such wonderful pets.
“With two weeks left before entries close, we’re looking forward to hearing even more stories of moggy brilliance. Owners can nominate their cats in any of the four categories to be in with a chance of winning an award.
“The good news for cat lovers is that you don’t even need to own a cat to get involved. If your favourite feline is a YouTube star or TikTok sensation who helps us all learn about cats and their needs, then you can nominate them in our Social Star category to get them the recognition they deserve.”
Winners will be selected in a public vote and by a panel of judges before being announced during a ceremony at London’s Wilton’s Music Hall on 17 July 2023.
The winner of the National Cat of the Year trophy will inherit the title from Jasper and Willow, who were named joint National Cat of the Year 2022 in recognition of the role they play at St Peter & St James Hospice in Haywards Heath, Sussex.
To nominate your cat, or for further information about the National Cat Awards, visit www.cats.org.uk/national-cat-awards until noon on Friday 24 February.
To find out more about adopting a cat from Cats Protection, visit:
