Cats Protection’s ‘The Time is Meow: A cat welfare Action Plan for Scotland’ sets out the issues the charity is campaigning on, which includes calling on the Scottish Government to introduce compulsory microchipping for pet cats.

A recent event sponsored by Mark Ruskell MSP, Scottish Greens, saw many MSPs coming together to show their support for the campaign. Among them was Emma Roddick, SNP, MSP for the Highlands and Islands.

Commenting Emma Roddick said:

“It was a pleasure to meet with Cats Protection and discuss their priorities for changes to cat welfare protections that could be implemented in Scotland, including compulsory microchipping.  As the owner of a rescue cat myself, I know how important it is that there are policies in place to prevent suffering.”

The campaign is calling on politicians at Holyrood to improve cat welfare in Scotland through our five-point action plan. We want:

• Compulsory microchipping of pet cats to reunite more cats with their owners.
• More private landlords to allow tenants to keep pets.
• Effective implementation of laws on kitten sales and breeding.
• A ban on snares which are cruel and inhumane and cause immense suffering to cats and other animals caught in them.
• Animal welfare added to the Scottish National Curriculum to help children understand responsible pet ownership.

Cats Protection’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland Alice Palombo said:

“It was wonderful to welcome so many MSPs who were keen to find out how they can support cats and the people who care about them.

“Scotland is a nation of cat lovers, with 20% of households owning one, so their welfare is important to a huge number of people. While Scotland already has some strong legislation in place to protect cats, there is always more that can be done. We were pleased to discuss our priorities with so many MSPs as part of our work to help cats in Scotland.”

You can find out more here: The Time is Meow