Households in Scotland may soon be banned from getting a cat under extraordinary plans being considered to protect the country’s wildlife.
An animal welfare body set up to advise the Scottish Government has warned that pet cats are causing untold damage to populations of native mammals and birds.
And in a new report ordered by SNP ministers, the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) discusses, as a possible solution, the extreme option of banning cat ownership in some areas where wildlife is most at risk.
The Commission’s report also explores the controversial idea of setting up ‘cat containment areas’ – designated parts of the country where compulsory restrictions could be put in place to prevent pet cats from roaming and hunting.
The report highlights that containment areas have already been set up in several parts of Australia – with strict rules meaning cats must be permanently kept indoors.
The only exceptions are if owners build enclosed outdoor runs for their pets – or else take their cats out for a walk on a lead.
Although the Commission stops short of demanding Scottish ministers implement these measures immediately, it does call for research to be carried out to explore ‘introducing cat containment areas… and restrictions on introducing cats to households in vulnerable areas.’
While even the most enthusiastic cat-lovers can sometimes be appalled by their pets’ blood-thirsty hunting habits – and the toll of captured mice and birds – the SAWC’s ideas are sure to provoke a fierce debate.
TV presenter Jackie Bird owns three ‘beautiful' cats

Charities warn that wearing a harness could stress cats
Last night the charity Cats Protection hit out at the possibility of a ban on cats.
Alice Palombo, the group’s advocacy and government relations officer for Scotland said: ‘Scotland is a nation of cat lovers. Cats are much-loved pets, and for many people, they’re part of the family. 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 in caring for others.
‘We believe everyone who is able to care for a cat should be able to enjoy these benefits.’
She also warned against cat containment areas which force animals to stay permanently inside, saying: ‘Ideally, all cats should have the choice to access the outside world. 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. While some cats tolerate living indoors, missing out on these vital experiences can lead to stress-related problems like spraying, excessive grooming or physical illness.’
And she strongly rejected any suggestion that cats should be walked on a lead.
She said: ‘Cats are very different from dogs and most will dislike being taken out on a lead. As highly independent animals, cats do not like being restrained, especially for long periods of time, so wearing a harness will likely be stressful for them. There are always exceptions to every rule, but in general, cats are not suited to lead walking and this can lead to them become stressed and developing behavioural or physical health problems.’
The SAWC is an independent expert group set by the Scottish Government to offer scientific and ethical advice to ministers on issues relating to the welfare of wild and domestic animals.
In a new report called ‘Responsible ownership and care of domestic cats in Scotland’, the body highlights that cats ‘can have a significant impact on wildlife populations.’
It cites research showing that, in the UK, some 57 million mammals, 27 million birds and five million reptiles and amphibians are brought home to pet owners each year by their cats – with the overall annual body-count of killed wild prey possibly being as high as 700 million.
The report suggests one option might be a complete ban on people getting a pet cat in certain areas which are home to the most under-threat species.
It states: ‘New housing developments in rural areas could have a stipulation that cats may not be kept in conservation-sensitive areas/other areas that have not had high levels of predation, especially with red-listed or amber-listed birds/other species.’
The SAWC then discusses the possibility of setting up ‘cat containment areas’ within Scotland – which would restrict cats’ movements.
It notes: ‘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.’
In Australia, for example, many areas ‘promote a policy of containment, requiring owners to ensure that their cats do not leave the property, either by keeping cats indoors, providing outdoor runs or only taking them out on a leash.’
The SAWC is now calling for further research into possible measures to protect wildlife from cats. In a section titled ‘Compulsory containment of cats in vulnerable areas’, it recommends that ministers should ‘ask NatureScot to commission a report into the advantages and disadvantages for wildlife of introducing cat containment areas, restrictions on introducing cats to households in vulnerable areas and specific containment measures.’
Yesterday the Scottish Government acknowledged the report and said it would ‘fully consider’ the SAWC’s recommendations.
JACKIE BIRD: We don’t all like them, but we don’t ban politicians!
She’s a self-confessed cat lover with three ‘beautiful’ pets sharing her semi-rural village home.
And TV presenter and journalist Jackie Bird was highly sceptical about proposals for cat bans in Scotland.
‘As someone whose three cats generously allow me to share their home, I can only advise the MSPs considering this report to be careful what they wish for,’ she said.
‘I’ll admit, not everyone likes them, they’re expensive to keep, difficult to pin down and occasionally like to intrude on other people’s territory – but we don’t ban politicians.
‘As an animal lover, my cats’ predilection for senseless violence horrifies me. I rarely know whether I’m entering my hallway or a scene from CSI Miami.
‘However, years of practice rescuing small, terrified rodents means my hand-eye co-ordination is second to none.
She added: ‘On the suggestion that Scotland should follow cat curfew models from Australia, I can only say that if I lived in a country where a deadly spider could leap from the U-bend and bite me down under, I’d have other things to worry about.
‘However, to ensure my household is united in our response to this blatant and unfair attempt
at cat cancellation I have given Willow, Malin and Mr Bailey
a print-out of this report to peruse at their leisure – or at least until I have to change the litter tray again.’

Numbats are preyed on by cats in Australia
Strewth! They already have a ban Down Under
Cat curfews have already been imposed in several states in Australia – while the central government is also considering new control laws that would apply across the whole country.
As part of a ‘cat abatement’ plan designed to reduce the destruction of native wildlife, ministers are exploring policies such as night-time curfews, limits on the number of cats per household – and even cat-free suburbs.
Environment minister Tanya Plibersek last year described cats as ‘dangerous and ruthless predators’ and warned that several wildlife species – including the greater bilby (a long-eared rabbit-like mammal), the numbat (a tiny insect-eating marsupial) and the Gilbert’s potoroo (an endangered marsupial) – were being pushed ‘to the brink of extinction’.
Several local governments have already implemented restrictions, including in Melbourne, where some areas have a 24-hour ban on roaming cats.
The capital Canberra launched a crackdown on cats in 2022 to protect native animals – with cats banned from going outdoors unless they are on a lead.
Owners can be fined up to $300 (around £150) if their pet is found outdoors without a leash.
Although research has suggested that cats in Australia kill billions of wild mammals and birds every year, the problem is compounded by the fact that around 5.6 million feral cats roam the country’s vast areas of bushland.
As well as cracking down on pet cats, the government is spending millions of dollars on trying to eradicate feral cats, including plans to use artificial intelligence, drone-based thermal cameras and DNA tracking technology to identify and humanely eliminate the predators.