Current status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 11 June 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to tackle the breeding of cats with extreme characteristics, including whether it plans to update the 2021 cat breeding guidance to cover all such cats.
The Scottish Government recognises that there are health concerns linked with cats with extreme characteristics, such as the Scottish Fold. It acknowledges that breeds such as the Scottish Fold and Munchkin have been found to likely represent a breach in the licencing condition of no breeding should occur if it could have a detrimental effect on the cat’s health or wellbeing.
We will continue to work with industry stakeholders and engage with DEFRA in order to keep pace with advances in science and will be looking at issues of artificial insemination of cats, and the breeding of exotic/wild cat-hybrids in line with the recommendations from the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission.