Dr Neil Hudson, the first vet to be elected to the House of Commons since 1884, joined Cats Protection in Parliament to discuss animal welfare issues, and his role as Shadow DEFRA Minister.
The Epping Forest MP joined fellow parliamentarians to discuss the charity’s campaigns to improve animal welfare laws for cats including the need for cat breeding regulations and introducing better protection for pet-owning renters.
The UK’s biggest cat charity also used the event to highlight its work in helping cats and their owners, including its Lifeline service, which provides free cat fostering for owners fleeing domestic abuse.
Dr Neil Hudson, Shadow DEFRA Minister and Epping Forest MP, said:
"A huge thank you to Cats Protection for bringing so many MPs, peers, and animal welfare experts together to drive home priorities for the current Parliament. It is really worthy work, improving the lives of our furry friends up and down the country.
"As the Shadow DEFRA Minister covering animal health and welfare, it is critical that the important work being done by charity leaders is fed into policy makers and we hold the Government to account together.
"Having worked closely with Cats Protection and other animal charities, I will continue to press the Government for a more pet-friendly rental market, to help progress legislation banning the import of cats that have been horrifically de-clawed, and addressing the growing number of cat breeders selecting extreme traits at the expense of the animal's health.
Dr Hudson is a Veterinary Surgeon and an animal-lover and is a Shadow DEFRA Minister. You can read more about his strong track record on the subject here.
Cats Protection’s Associate Director of Advocacy, Campaigns and External Affairs Madison Rogers said:
“Cats are one of the nation’s favourite pets, yet in many areas we are failing to give them the protection they need in law. In the case of breeding, we have seen an alarming number of cats being bred for profit with no regard for their health and welfare. And renters are still facing problems in finding pet-friendly housing, which can lead to them having to make the heartbreaking decision to give up their much-loved pet.
“It’s great to see so many politicians take a keen interest in animal welfare, which we know is a very important issue for millions of people.”
Cats Protection, the UK's leading cat welfare charity, helps an average of 184,000 cats and kittens a year through its national network which includes around 200 volunteer-run branches and 32 centres.
To find out more about Cats Protection, please visit www.cats.org.uk
