Cats won’t be banned in Scotland, the government confirms

LONDON — The Scottish government wants everyone to know it does not plan to ban cats. First Minister John Swinney was forced to issue the statement after a report by independent experts branded felines a threat to Scotland’s wildlife and suggested “containment” measures be considered to reduce the damage. The report said “cat containment” measures could also include “restrictions on introducing cats to households in vulnerable areas” -– interpreted by some as effectively a ban. The Daily Mail reported: “Fury as households in Scotland could be banned from getting a pet cat.” The Scottish Daily Express branded the idea a “madcap scheme.” Swinney, who heads Scotland’s semi-autonomous Edinburgh-based government, spoke to journalists to defend the administration’s pro-feline credentials. We’ve no intention of doing so and we will not be doing it.” Cats Protection, the U.K.’s biggest cat charity, gave the idea of draconian containment measures short shrift, saying “pragmatic solutions like keeping cats indoors at dawn and dusk can balance the needs of domestic cats and wild animals.” “Scotland is a nation of cat lovers,” said Alice Palombo, the charity’s advocacy and government relations officer for Scotland, with almost a quarter of households owning a feline pet.