Scotland is not planning to ban cats, the leader of the devolved government insisted on Monday, after welfare experts gave ministers pause for thought in a new report.
The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) urged ministers to explore introducing containment zones – within which there would be restrictions on cats – to protect wildlife in “vulnerable areas”.
Such a plan could lead to rules requiring cats to be kept indoors and potentially barring them in “new housing developments in rural areas” near “conservation-sensitive areas”, the commission noted in a new report.
But before any fur could fly, Scottish leader John Swinney said on Monday that his ministers were not poised to impose a ban, or restrictions, on cats.
“There’s a report being produced by an external organisation which has come in to the government for consideration,” he said.
“Let me just clear this up today – the government’s not going to be banning cats or restricting cats. We’ve no intention of doing so and we will not be doing it.”
