Drivers who run over a cat should have to report it, campaigners say

The Government is being urged to change the law to force drivers who hit cats to stop and report the collision after a record-breaking peтιтion.

Currently, motorists in England, Scotland and Wales are required to report collisions involving dogs, horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, donkeys and mules to police under the Road Traffic Act 1988 but cats are not included.

Campaigners say that means drivers can legally leave an injured cat by the roadside without reporting the accident, potentially delaying treatment and reducing the animal’s chances of survival.

A peтιтion organised by Cats Matter, a feline road traffic accident group, collected 189,000 signatures, almost double the 100,000 needed to trigger a parliamentary debate, with MPs expected to debate the issue in the house in October.

It is estimated that 230,000 cats are run over every year in the UK. Cats Matter say that one in 10 drivers have left a cat alone to die after a collision.

Maya Maraj, 56, from Hove, East SusSєx, lost her beloved five-year-old tabby Toots in March after he was knocked down by a car outside her home.

She said: ‘We weren’t home at the time of the accident so we have absolutely no idea how long he was suffering for.

‘Thankfully neighbours found him and rushed to the vets but sadly it was too late to save him.

Campaigners who are urging the Government to introduce a new law, forcing drivers who run over a cat to report it, are pictured outside Downing Street with their peтιтion

Currently, motorists in England, Scotland and Wales are required to report collisions involving dogs, horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, donkeys and mules to police. However cats are not included, despite campaigners’ calls to change the law 

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‘It is heartbreaking to think of other cats being left to die on the side of the road because motorists won’t stop. 

‘Finding out where they live can make all the difference in their survival rates and why it won’t save them all, this law change could make all the difference for many cats.’

Mandy Hobbis set up Cats Matter in 2009 after her cat Snowy was left for ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the road. 

She was informed he was collected by the council who later admitted he had been sent to landfill without being scanned for a microchip.

The 42-year-old from Stourbridge, West Midlands, said: ‘In 2026, in this so-called animal-loving nation, it just can’t be right that drivers are legally permitted to hit a cat and leave them scared, alone, in pain or worse at the roadside.

‘Cats are family and have just as much right to be given a chance of survival as dogs if the worst happens and they are hit by a car.

‘All we are asking is that hitting a cat becomes a reportable offence so suffering is minimised and lives are saved.’

She added: ‘We shouldn’t have to peтιтion for a bit of decency to be legislated for but unfortunately we have had to.

‘We hope the strength of this peтιтion, now the biggest cat-related peтιтion ever presented to Parliament, shows the Government the appeтιтe for such a law change and highlights how much people want cats brought into line with dogs.

‘Cats are family and the law should reflect this.’

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: ‘We know it’s very distressing for pet owners when their pets are involved in road collisions.

‘Although it’s not mandatory to report road collisions with cats and we have no plans to change this, drivers should make every effort, if possible, to find and inform the owner.’

Last week MP Cat Eccles joined Cats Matters to hand in the peтιтion to Number 10 Downing Street. 

She said: ‘This simple change to the law would bring us in line with other countries and bring comfort to those whose pets are injured or killed on our roads.

‘I’ve been lobbying DEFRA and DfT on this since becoming an MP and hope this change can be made.’