Almost 40 MSPs visited a Holyrood exhibition held by the charity Cats Safety to spotlight how cats – and the individuals who take care of them – may be higher protected in regulation.
The exhibition, sponsored by Marie McNair MSP, was attended by 38 politicians and was an opportunity to debate measures to enhance feline welfare in Scotland, together with the introduction of obligatory microchipping for pet cats and growing the supply of cat-friendly rented housing.
Cats Safety’s Advocacy & Authorities Relations Officer for Scotland Alice Palombo mentioned: “Scotland is a nation of pet lovers and cats are a very standard pet, with practically one in 4 households proudly owning one. So it was nice to see so many politicians coming alongside to search out out what they’ll do to make sure cats obtain the safety in regulation that they deserve.
“Among the many key measures we mentioned was the necessity for obligatory microchipping of pet cats in Scotland. That is one thing which can quickly be launched for cats in England and it’s vital that Scottish cats are usually not left behind.
“We additionally talked about what MSPs can do to make sure there may be extra cat-friendly housing accessible within the personal and social rented sectors. So many individuals now lease their houses but too many are being denied the possibility to personal a pet cat and we imagine this should change.”
In addition to discussing the charity’s campaigns, politicians additionally came upon extra about its hands-on work to help cats and the individuals who care about them, with workers from Cats Safety’s Veterinary, Behaviour and Neighborhood Engagement groups readily available to reply questions.
Cats Safety, the UK’s main feline welfare charity, has a Scottish community of 24 volunteer-run branches, three adoption centres and 9 charity retailers, which additionally supply recommendation on cat care. In 2022, the charity rehomed 2,500 cats in Scotland and helped neuter 11,100 cats and microchip 4,400 cats.
To search out out extra about Cats Safety, please go to www.cats.org.uk
