Could cat containment areas be introduced in Scotland to protect wildlife?

Cat containment areas have been recommended in parts of Scotland in a bid to protect wildlife under new proposals being reviewed by ministers.

A report by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission into the ownership and care of domestic cats in Scotland suggests that new housing developments could have a requirement which bans cats in “conservation-sensitive areas”.

Cat containment areas, where cats are kept indoors either all the time or seasonally, have been proposed to help “reduce the welfare impacts of domestic cats on wildlife”.

“The evidence suggests that all cats can have a significant impact on wildlife populations, through predation and competition for resources with vulnerable wildcat populations,” reads the report.

“Some countries already require cats to be contained all the time or seasonally to protect wildlife populations.

“This may be an option to reduce the welfare impacts of domestic cats on wildlife.”

It continues: “New housing developments in rural areas could have a stipulation that cats may not be kept in conservation-sensitive areas/other areas that have not had high levels of predation, especially with red-listed or amber-listed birds/other species.”

In Australia, several cities, including Canberra and Victoria, already have cat containment areas in place for nature conservation reasons.

Cats in those areas must be contained on the owner’s premises, in an enclosed area in their garden or be kept on a lead.

However, the report does acknowledge that successfully keeping cats indoors can require “significant commitment” from owners to ensure they are still able to express their natural behaviours.

It recommends ministers ask NatureScot to commission a report into the advantages and disadvantages of cat containment and the restriction of cats in certain areas.

Cats Protection, the largest cat welfare charity in the UK, disagrees with some of the proposals suggested in the report.

Cat containment areas is also suggested to “reduce the welfare impacts of domestic cats on wildlife”. / Credit: AP

Alice Palombo, the charity’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland, said cats can have many benefits for their owners, including companionship and comfort for those with health conditions, and emphasised the importance of cats having the opportunity to be outside.

“Ideally all cats should have the choice to access the outside world. Cats need to be able to perform natural cat-like behaviours if they’re to live happy, healthy lives,” she said.

“Some cats, like ferals, are entirely unsuited to indoor living in a domestic home, and need to live outdoor lives.

“Other cats, like those that live in houses with lots of other pets, are also at particular risk of becoming stressed if they are always confined to sharing an indoor living space.

“Not all cats hunt and for those that do, pragmatic solutions like keeping cats indoors at dawn and dusk can balance the needs of domestic cats and wild animals.”

She added: “Cats are great pets for all sorts of reasons, whether it’s providing companionship for elderly people or those living alone, comfort for people with health conditions or helping children learn important lessons in caring for others.”

According to the report, 45% of pet cats in Scotland lived only indoors in 2023, with just 2% living only outdoors.

The report says this follows a growing trend where cats are kept indoors in order to reduce the risk to local wildlife, injuries and accidents, as well as nuisance to others.

It also highlights the potential impact that cats can have on wildlife, stating that an estimated 57 million mammals, 27 million birds and five million reptiles and amphibians are brought home to pet owners by their cats every year.