Cats Protection welcomes debates on pet travel to make sure cats are not left behind

The UK's largest cat charity has welcomed two parliamentary debates which will raise concerns that cats are being left behind in changes to laws around pet travel.

Cats Protection says proposals in a Government consultation on the movement of pets into Great Britain would fail to protect cats and kittens in the same way as puppies and dogs.

The Government consultation, which closed in October, contained important proposed changes to dog travel – including increasing the minimum age they can travel and banning the movement of heavily pregnant dogs – but fails to extend the same protections to cats.

Cats Protection is now calling on the Government to increase the minimum age that cats can travel into Great Britain from 15 weeks to six months, ban the movement into the UK of pregnant cats in their last 42 days of gestation and ban the importation of cats which have been de-clawed.

With Cats Protection's Cats and Their Stats (CATS) report 2021 estimating that 70,000 cats acquired between March 2020 and March 2021 were from an overseas source, the charity says action is needed to prevent kittens and cats being exploited by unscrupulous international traders.

Cats Protection's Head of Advocacy & Government Relations Jacqui Cuff said: "While the Government is looking at changes to improve the welfare of puppies and dogs being brought into the UK, it is not considering the same improvements for cats, which is a huge concern.

"We know there has been an increase in the numbers of people looking to buy a kitten, and prices have also gone up. The current laws on importing kittens and cats are far too relaxed and urgently need to be tightened up to prevent a surge in unscrupulous traders importing kittens into Great Britain for onward sale."

Lord Black of Brentwood, who will be raising the issue in an oral question in the House of Lords said: "Over the years I have been an advocate for the welfare of our companion animals. We are a nation of animal lovers and pets are so important to the lives of many, an important part of the family, and providers of joy and companionship.

"There are risks in buying pets online, particularly from sellers based abroad, and the Government's review of the pet travel provisions presents a real opportunity to clamp down on unscrupulous sellers smuggling pets into Great Britain. While the horrors of puppy smuggling are well publicised, we must not open the door to sellers turning their attention to bringing in kittens to meet the UK market. New pet travel provisions must apply to kittens as well as puppies, both of whom need legal protection."

Pet travel is due to be discussed in the House of Commons during a general debate on pet travel led by Sheryll Murray MP on Thursday 2 December and during oral questions in the House of Lords on Tuesday 7 December led by Lord Black of Brentwood.