Cat owners in the UK have been given a two-day deadline to respond to calls for a major legal change that would have a significant impact across the country. A push to introduce a legal change affecting all cat owners and drivers has taken a major step forward. A petition on the Parliament website has surged past a crucial milestone, meaning it will now be considered for a parliamentary debate by MPs.
This development will force the Government to justify its stance while piling on additional pressure for reform to the law. The petition reached 176,000 signatures today, calling for all motorists to be legally required to report accidents involving cats.
There are only two days left, as the petition closes on July 15, and the organisers say they want to reach 200,000 to put enough pressure on for a change in the law. Cats Matter said: “As you may know, dogs already receive legal protection under the Road Traffic Act, yet cats—despite being the UK’s second most common companion animal—do not. This leaves thousands of families every year without answers, and it leaves injured cats without the urgent help they may desperately need. The petition seeks to change that by making the reporting of cat collisions a legal requirement.
“We are now down to the final three days, and the response has been extraordinary. The petition is rapidly approaching 200,000 signatures. Hitting that milestone would send a powerful message to the Government about the public’s expectation for fair, compassionate, and consistent legislation.
“Our parliamentary petition to reform roadside animal laws and protect cats has now passed 176,000 signatures, and we are making a final public push to reach 200,000 by the end of Wednesday 17th June, when the petition closes. We have grown from 60,000 to 176,000 signatures in just 10 days, helped by support from major social media influencers such as Lupin in London and Blue the Blep.
“Given the time sensitivity and the widespread public interest, any further coverage or mention your outlet can provide at this stage would make a meaningful difference. This is a moment where media attention could help push the petition over the line and ensure the issue receives the parliamentary consideration it deserves.”
Petition Details
The petition states: “It is legal in the UK to hit a cat when driving and not need to stop or report collisions, leaving them scared, alone, and in pain. Cats are important, loved, valued family members for many, and we believe the law should reflect this.
“We want the Government to legislate to require drivers to stop, check and report any road collisions with cats if they’re injured on the road, and hold drivers accountable if they fail to stop and report a collision involving a cat on the basis that they left a cat to unnecessarily suffer.
“We believe asking drivers to be made responsible for seeking help for an injured cat is a perfectly reasonable and simple ask.”
Those behind the petition previously declared: “We have just two weeks to reach 100k, but should the current trend continue, then we will smash that target.
“We began the petition as a result of our campaign which started because our cats were hit by cars and left on the road for dead. We, as I’m sure all cat owners will agree, can appreciate some level of danger having free-roaming animals, as we can all reasonably expect some level of danger every time we leave the house and cross roads. Accidents will sadly always happen and what we don’t want to do is penalise good drivers and decent people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in the unfortunate position of having hit a cat when driving.
“What we can not accept and do not understand is the drivers that drive off and leave the cats scared, alone, in pain, or worse, roadside. Not stopping to help a cat, or any animal, is unforgivable in our view and we want the law to stand with us on that. We do not want drivers to have criminal records or pay our vet bills, we simply want drivers to help our cats should the worst happen. If they fail to do so, we want them to, by law, be accountable and face justice.”
Statistics and Current Law
Latest statistics from PetPlan show that roughly 230,000 cats are hit by cars annually, working out at 630 per day, with 35% of motorists confessing to having struck a cat. Britain is a country of passionate cat enthusiasts, with approximately 12.2 million cats living in British homes, making them the nation’s second most beloved pet after dogs, with 27% of families owning at least one moggy.
According to section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, motorists must legally stop and report collisions involving horses, cattle, donkeys, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but cats are notably excluded. This legal distinction was originally established to safeguard working animals.
Research conducted by Carbuyer in 2018 revealed that nearly 60% of respondents felt the legislation should be amended to encompass cats too.
Government Response
Following the petition surpassing 10,000 signatures, the Department for Transport issued an official response. It stated: “The Government has no current plans to require drivers to report collisions with cats. However, the Road Safety Strategy will improve road safety for all road users, including cats and other animals.
“This is a compassionate country and although there is no obligation to report all animal deaths on roads, drivers should, if possible, make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals, such as cats, and advise them of the situation.
“Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, a driver is required to stop and report an accident involving specified animals including horses, cattle, ass, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats or wild animals. This requirement arises from their status as working animals rather than as domestic pets. To introduce such a measure within the provision of section 170, would require primary legislation. (Note that certain legislation still uses the word ‘accident’, although the preferred terms are collision or crash.)
“Because cats are much smaller than other specified animals, and often most active at dawn or dusk, in many cases drivers may not be aware they’ve hit them - particularly with larger vehicles. Because of that, it would be difficult to prosecute drivers if the law was changed.”
The petition is now being considered for parliamentary debate, with updates to follow if this proceeds.
