The UK government is under mounting pressure to enact legislation that would compel drivers to report collisions involving cats, a requirement currently not in place for felines but mandated for other animals like dogs, horses, and livestock. This push follows the submission of a petition that garnered 189,000 signatures, significantly exceeding the 100,000 needed to trigger a parliamentary debate.
Under the current Road Traffic Act 1988, motorists in England, Scotland, and Wales are legally obligated to report accidents involving specific animals, including dogs, horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, donkeys, and mules. However, cats are conspicuously absent from this list, meaning drivers can legally leave an injured cat at the roadside without any obligation to report the incident. Campaigners argue this loophole can delay critical veterinary treatment, thereby diminishing a cat's chances of survival.
"It is heartbreaking to think of other cats being left to die on the side of the road because motorists won't stop," said Maya Maraj, who lost her five-year-old tabby, Toots, in March after he was struck by a car. "Finding out where they live can make all the difference in their survival rates."
Mandy Hobbis, founder of the feline road traffic accident group Cats Matter, established the organization in 2009 after her own cat, Snowy, was left for dead. Hobbis recounted that Snowy was collected by the council and later sent to landfill without being scanned for a microchip.
"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," Hobbis stated. "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."
Cats Matter estimates that approximately 230,000 cats are involved in road traffic accidents annually in the UK, with the group reporting that one in ten drivers have left a cat unattended after a collision. The petition, which is now the largest cat-related petition ever presented to Parliament, is expected to be debated in the House of Commons in October.
MP Cat Eccles recently joined Cats Matter representatives in delivering the petition to Number 10 Downing Street. "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," Eccles said, adding that she has been advocating for this change with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Transport (DfT).
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport acknowledged the distress caused to pet owners by road collisions but stated that there are currently no plans to make reporting cat collisions mandatory. Nevertheless, the department advises drivers to make every effort to find and inform the owner if possible.