PETITIONOpenPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Require all owned cats to be neutered
We call on the Government to introduce mandatory neutering for owned cats and to create legal protections and enforcement options to safeguard cat welfare. Cats are one of the most common pets in the UK, yet we feel they have far fewer legal protections than other animals.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
327
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 327/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 327/100,000
Background
While cats are legally allowed to roam, there is currently no mandated enforcement regarding owned cats that are not neutered, inadequately cared for, or repeatedly suffer harm or distress due to irresponsible ownership.
Many rescue organisations and individuals are overwhelmed. Many rescuers take in dozens — sometimes hundreds — of abandoned, injured, or neglected cats every year. We believe these cats are not “bad” or “aggressive”; they are the result of poor breeding control, lack of neutering, and irresponsible ownership.