Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many kittens and cats entered the UK under the EU Pet Travel Scheme in 2016 and 2017.

The numbers of cats imported to Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme in 2016 and 2017 are as follows:

2016 – 24,145

2017 – 26,480

The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme is taken from the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s system for recording pets’ throughput based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.

This information does not record the age of the animal. As such the data above will include both cats and kittens which were old enough to be fully compliant with the requirements of the scheme at the time of entry to Great Britain.