Cats Protection discusses ‘exploitative’ breeding at Parliament reception
Kit Sturgess, Madison Rogers, Johanna Baxter and John May at the Summer Reception.
Cats Protection met with MPs and House of Lords members this week to discuss key cat welfare issues.
The Summer Reception, hosted by Johanna Baxter MP, saw 77 parliamentarians join Cats Protection at the informal, drop-in event.
A key discussion point at the session was exploitative cat breeding practices. The charity is calling for a ban on breeding cats with extreme characteristics, especially with sick and suffering cats being sold online.
It comes after the charity delivered 60,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street calling for cat breeding regulations.
The 2025 Cats And Their Stats report found that 36 per cent of owned cats in the UK were pedigrees, up from 23 per cent five years ago. This includes an increase in ‘designer’ cats, with extreme features like folded ears, flat faces or hairless bodies.
The charity warns that these characteristics can lead to chronic health problems and an extremely poor quality of life.
Among the other topics at the reception were Cats Protections’ campaign against electric shock collars and its calls to restrict fireworks to minimise stress to cats.
Volunteers and staff also spoke to guests about their essential work in cat rehoming, neutering and owner education. There were also representatives from the charity’s Lifeline service, which provides cat fostering services for owners fleeing domestic abuse, and Paws to Listen, a grief support service for people grieving the loss of their cat.
Johanna Baxter MP said: “I was delighted to sponsor the Cats Protection Parliamentary Reception. It was a great opportunity to discuss and celebrate cats and the people who love and care for them.
“It was especially heartening to hear about how the Renters Rights Act is helping ensure that all those who want to experience the joy of having a cat, can do so – irrespective of whether they rent or own their homes.”
Madison Rogers, associate director of Advocacy, Campaigns and External Affairs, said “Cats Protection is proud to make a difference nationally and in local constituencies through the dedication of our employees and volunteers. We look forward to working closely with parliamentarians to ensure cats and the people who care for them receive the protection and support they deserve.”
Image © Cats Protection
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
