John Swinney: 'We will not be banning cats' in Scotland

But the First Minister has now been forced to insist publicly that Scotland will “not be banning cats” following a series of bizarre reports at the weekend.

The claims were made after a report submitted to the Scottish Government recommended cat-free zones in an attempt to protect birds and other wildlife.

Such zones could include a prohibition on cat ownership in rural areas to protect endangered species.

But speaking to media on Monday, the First Minister rejected assertions these recommendations would be an effective ban on owning cats.

Mr Swinney said: “Let me just clear this up today.

“The Government's not going to be banning cats or restricting cats.

“We have no intention of doing so and we'll not be doing it.”

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) made the recommendation to Holyrood in response to evidence that cats have a "significant impact on wildlife populations".

If implemented, residents in those feline free zones could be forced to keep their pets indoors - or banned from getting them in the first place.

The SAWC suggested that new housing developments in rural regions "could have a stipulation that cats may not be kept in conservation-sensitive areas", or in the vicinity of endangered birds and wildlife.

Other recommendations were made in the report, including requiring the compulsory microchipping and registration of pet cats. It also called for a further report into the pros and cons of the compulsory neutering of owned cats in "vulnerable areas".

The Scottish government said it will "fully consider the recommendations" made by SAWC, as it urged all cat owners to consider microchipping their pets.

How bad are cats for wildlife?

It has been estimated that cats across the UK bring home tens of millions of animals each year - including birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

A paper published in 2022 estimated that cats in the UK kill 160 to 270 million animals annually, a quarter of them birds.

The study used the 2011 pet cat population of about 9.5 million, however, so the result is likely to be even higher.

UK vet charity PDSA reported in 2024 that 24 per cent of UK adults have a cat - an estimated population of 10.8 million.