Cat and rabbit breeding
Rescue centres in the UK are overrun with stray, abandoned or relinquished cats and rabbits, including accidental litters. With so many unwanted pets, is it ethical to breed cats and rabbits on purpose?
Cat and rabbit breeding. Probably not something you’ve ever really thought about much. You might think that most cats and rabbits are the product of accidental breeding. And for some, that’s definitely the case.
Many cats roam freely and we’ve all heard the saying ‘breeding like rabbits’. It’s why neutering is so important.
But there are also people who intentionally breed cats or rabbits. And whilst some may do so responsibly, others breed with no regard for welfare whatsoever.
And just like with dogs, we’re seeing concerning trends where cats and rabbits are being bred to look a certain way, often at the expense of their health and welfare.
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Cat breeding
Cats come into our lives in lots of different ways. A stray might take a shine to us. We might adopt from our local rescue centre. Or we might take a cat on to help out a friend or family member who can no longer care for them. But a growing number of us are now choosing to buy cats directly from breeders and private sellers.
Cats Protection estimate that significantly more people are now purchasing cats rather than adopting compared with just five years ago – that’s very worrying as plenty of cats in rescue centres still need loving homes.
The growth of online pet selling and the increasing popularity of ‘pedigree’ cat breeds seem to be driving this concerning shift away from adoption. And just like with dogs, certain ‘looks’ or ‘types’ are more popular than others. Cats with flat-faces and other exaggerated features are becoming increasingly popular. And other worrying trends – such as the breeding of wild cat hybrids, Bullycats and Scottish fold cats – are also cause for concern.
Just like people who breed dogs, we think those who intentionally breed cats should adhere to minimum welfare standards. That’s why we want to see cat and rabbit breeding regulated across each of the UK nations and MPs agree. In April 2024, the EFRA Select Committee called for animal licensing laws in England to be expanded to include cat breeding.
Rabbit breeding
There is relatively little known about the scale and nature of intentional pet rabbit breeding in the UK. But with an estimated 700,000 bunnies in UK homes, it’s clear they’re coming from somewhere.
And unlike cats and dogs, it’s commonplace for pet shops to still sell rabbits cheaply, making them a very easy pet to purchase on a whim. Around a quarter of rabbits are thought to be purchased from pet shops or garden centres.
The ease with which a rabbit can be brought, however, is in stark contrast to their complex needs. Often thought of as a ‘starter pet’, rabbits actually require a lot of specialist care throughout their lives, which can be as long as twelve years. Rabbits are also highly social animals and must be kept in at least a bonded pair. To find out more about rabbit welfare and care, visit the RWAF website.
According to the latest PDSA PAW report, 17% of rabbits are purchased from a breeder. And just like cats and dogs, rabbits haven’t escaped the flat-faced trend. Netherland Dwarf and Lionhead breeds have been selectively bred for shorter faces, which is particularly problematic for rabbits because their teeth grow continuously throughout their lives.
Rescue centres are overrun with rabbits and placing them into homes can be difficult due to the need for them to live with at least one other rabbit. Contrary to popular opinion, rabbits are not ‘easy’ pets. For these reasons, we don’t think rabbits should be intentionally bred as pets and would urge anyone thinking about getting a rabbit to do their research and to always adopt from a rescue centre.
We fully support calls for retailers to stop selling rabbits and other small animals.
The law
Scotland is the only country in the UK where cat and rabbit breeding is currently regulated. If you breed more than three litters of kittens or more than six litters of rabbit kits in a 12-month period in Scotland, you need a licence from the local authority, regardless of whether you sell any of the animals as pets.
In the rest of the UK, these protections don’t exist. But there are some safeguards. Under Lucy’s Law, it’s illegal for anyone other than the breeder to sell kittens under six months of age in England, Wales and Scotland.
And anyone who sells animals as pets commercially should have a pet selling licence in England, Wales and Scotland. So even where specific breeding rules don’t apply, anyone who sells cats and rabbits as pets for profit needs to be licensed by their local authority. As part of these rules, it’s illegal to sell a rabbit or kitten who is under eight weeks of age.
And of course, anyone who is responsible for animals has duties to ensure their welfare needs are met under the UK’s Animal Welfare Acts, too. In short, there’s no excuse for people who breed or sell cats and rabbits to have low animal welfare standards.
Report illegal pet breeding and selling
If you suspect a cat or rabbit breeding or selling operation is breaching animal welfare standards, please don’t keep it to yourself.
We work hard to investigate unscrupulous pet breeders and sellers, but we can’t do it alone – we need you to be our eyes and ears. It’s easy to report it safely and anonymously.
