At the moment there are no laws to ensure a driver stops when they hit a cat. This is in spite of the fact that under Animal Welfare Act 2006, a cat is considered its owner’s ‘property’.

If under the Criminal Damage Act 1971 it is considered unlawful to kill or injure a cat, WHY is it a driver is not held to the same law?

In spite of living in a suburban area, I have witnessed many drivers speeding up and down the street I live on. Today, a neighbour’s cat was run over by a speeding driver who did not stop. When challenged by a witness, the driver shrugged and said ‘I know the law’ and drove off. Meanwhile, thanks to a local Facebook group, the owner was alerted and able to get their cat to the vet. BUT - the next 48 hours are crucial for this cat’s survival.

It is not right that a speeding driver (who would receive a fine if spotted by police) can blatantly disregard the law, cause undue suffering to both an animal and its owner and simply get away with it because there is not a law to protect our feline friends.

There was an attempt in 2018, with ‘The Cat Bill’. This went no further than the House of Commons. 

It is time we changed this. Please support this cause.