Scots could soon face a ban on owning a cat, as SNP ministers are set to review a new report.
Other restrictions that could be put in place include curfews to keep pet cats at home during specific times, and being kept on leads when outdoors.
The report by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) said cats have caused damage to birds and that action must be taken.
Charity Cats Protection has slammed the report after it used a case study from Australia, where residential areas in some states ban residents from owning domestic felines.
It suggested the possibility of containment areas as “an option to reduce the welfare impacts of domestic cats on wildlife”. However, the charity Cats Protection has argued that keeping cats indoors would have a negative impact on their welfare.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, spokesperson Alice Palombo said: “Scotland is a nation of cat lovers. They are great pets, whether it’s providing companionship for elderly people or those living alone, comfort for people with health conditions or helping children learn important lessons need cat-live.
“We believe everyone who is able to care for a cat should be able to enjoy these benefits. Cats need to be able to perform natural cat-like behaviours if they’re to live happy, healthy lives. These needs, like scratching and climbing, are more easily met in the outside world, where they can also enjoy the stimulation that comes with new smells, sights and sounds.”
Alice added that the recommendation of keeping cats on leads would only be “stressful” for them.
The SAWC report, titled ‘Responsible ownership and care of domestic cats in Scotland’, states Scotland has roughly 800,000 domestic cats, which have “a huge potential impact…on wild animals, including birds, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians”.
It adds: “In the UK it has been estimated that 57 million mammals, 27 million birds and five million reptiles and amphibians are brought home to pet owners each year by their cats, even though only 50-80% of free-ranging cats actually hunt.”
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Another suggestion was a “stipulation that cats may not be kept in conservation-sensitive areas/other areas that have not had high levels of predation” relating to new housing developments in rural areas, reports the Scottish Daily Express.
The report summarised its findings with: “The evidence suggests that all cats can have a significant impact on wildlife populations, through predation and competition for resources with vulnerable wildcat populations. Some countries already require cats to be contained all the time or seasonally to protect wildlife populations. This may be an option to reduce the welfare impacts of domestic cats on wildlife.
“However, there are also welfare impacts for the cat of preventing access to outdoor environments. This approach requires investment from owners in ensuring good cat welfare and allowing behavioural opportunities for hunting, exploring, exercise and mental stimulation.”
The group advised the government to ask quango NatureScot to “commission a report into the advantages and disadvantages for wildlife of introducing cat containment areas”. It also wants to see legislation enforced sooner for microchipping of cats to be compulsory, and for the executive to consider the mandatory neutering of domestic cats.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We recommend that all cat owners should consider microchipping their pets, and ensuring the information held on them is kept up to date, as the best way of being reunited should they become lost or separated. We will fully consider the recommendations of the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission.”
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