SNP's decision not to ban cats shows Scottish Government at its laughable 'best'

In his long political career, John Swinney will have been asked many strange questions but among the strangest must surely be whether his government was going to ban cats. His answer – “the government is not going to be banning cats or restricting cats” – was as predictable as the idea was laughable.

The suggestion that “new housing developments in rural areas could have a stipulation that cats may not be kept in conservation-sensitive areas/other areas that have not had high levels of predation” came in a report submitted to the Scottish Government by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission, set up by ministers in 2020.

Cats can breathe a sigh of relief after John Swinney promised they would not face a ban in Scotland (Picture: Christopher Furlong) | Getty Images

To be fair, it only suggested NatureScot should commission a report into “the advantages and disadvantages” of “cat-containment areas”, another example of the endless processes involved in deciding whether or not to do something in Scotland today.

However, should there be similar reports in the works that countenance other prohibitions, we feel confident we can save taxpayers some money by making a few snap judgments: there will also be no bans on puppies, bagpipes and apple pie. Beyond that, these days, it's hard to tell.