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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the impact on the welfare of cats arising from the absence of regulations on cat breeding.

Anyone in the business of selling cats and kittens as pets should already have a pet selling licence and must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse, vary or revoke licences.

Defra officials regularly meet animal welfare stakeholders to discuss the welfare of cats and to further our understanding of the cat breeding sector as set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy.