The Scottish government announced today that it does not intend to ban the keeping of cats, which experts have assessed as a threat to nature and have therefore proposed "restricting" cats.
The Animal Welfare Commission bases this position on the fact that, as it stated, cats kill 700 million birds and small animals in the UK every year.
She advised the government to consider a series of measures, including keeping domestic cats indoors, except on a leash, and restricting the keeping of cats in households, which some interpreted as an announcement of a ban.
The government said it would "fully consider" the recommendations.
In Scotland, a land of animal lovers, the proposals have sparked alarmist headlines. The Daily Mail reported: "Anger in Scottish households that could be banned from having a pet cat," and the Scottish Daily Express called the council's ideas "crazy."
The First Minister of semi-autonomous Scotland, John Sweeney, explained to reporters that the Government will not ban cats or restrict cat ownership.
Britain's largest cat charity, Cats Protection, said draconian measures were not necessary because "the needs of domestic cats and wild animals can be balanced by simply not letting cats out at dawn and dusk."
"Scotland is a land of cat lovers" with almost a quarter of households owning a cat, said Alice Palombo of the charity.
"Cats are great pets, whether they provide companionship for the elderly or those living alone, provide comfort to the sick, and help children learn important lessons about caring for others," she said, noting that "anyone who is able to care for a cat should enjoy it."
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