Government urged to extend animal welfare regulations to cover cat breeding

Peers in the House of Lords have pressed the Government to strengthen animal welfare protections by the the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations to address harmful cat breeding practices.

The debate, held on 4 December, centred on concerns about the use of electric shock collars and broader issues of domestic animal welfare, but also highlighted the growing problem of cats bred with extreme physical traits that compromise their health.

Lord Trees, a cross bench peer and veterinary surgeon, drew attention to the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations, which currently prohibit the breeding of dogs with extreme conformations. He noted that a new innate health assessment tool has been introduced to help breeders, vets, and enforcement officers avoid such practices in dogs. However, he warned that similar issues are now emerging in cats, with some breeds being developed in ways that cause serious and lifelong health problems. Lord Trees urged the Government to amend the regulations to include cats within the scope of the assessment tool, describing such measures as vital to prevent “abhorrent breeding practices”.

Responding to the call, Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, acknowledged the growing concerns around cat breeding. She confirmed that the Government had commissioned the Animal Welfare Committee to produce a report on the welfare implications of breeding cats with extreme conformations. The recommendations from that report are now under consideration, with ministers promising to examine them carefully as part of a wider animal welfare strategy.

The debate also revisited the long-delayed ban on electronic shock collars for cats and dogs. Peers criticised the Government for failing to act despite strong support for a ban in a 2018 consultation and draft regulations passed in 2023. Baroness Hayman reiterated that the Government is reviewing evidence on the welfare impacts of such devices and will set out next steps in its forthcoming animal welfare strategy.