Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely is seeking to ban the breeding of wild serval cats with domestic cats to produce Savannah hybrids – known as ‘designer pets’.
This mating practice can be painful and dangerous for domestic cats and Savannah hybrids are often abandoned.
Mr Seely is working in collaboration with the Isle of Wight-based Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, who have campaigned against the breeding of wild and domestic cats through their SERVIVAL campaign.
The Island’s MP has submitted 2 amendments to the Government’s Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill that seek to ban the breeding of exotic non-domestic cats with domestic cats and prohibit importing hybrid cats from abroad.
Mr Seely said of his amendments:
“This is an important issue. Savannah cats are, fundamentally, wild animals. They are not suitable pets. Despite this, we’ve seen social media fuel short-lived pet fads. Owners often lose interest and abandon Savannah cats. I want to make sure we have the right protections in place to stop this from happening.”
The law currently requires some Serval owners to possess licenses. This depends on the generation of the hybrid cat. The list of species that require a license was last amended in 2007 to require licenses to own the immediate offspring of pure servals and a domestic cat, but subsequent hybrid offspring currently do not require licenses.
Wildheart Animal Sanctuary Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Bates said of Mr Seely’s amendments:
“We welcome Bob Seely MP’s support in championing animal welfare in the UK via these amendments.
“The breeding of exotic felids with domestic cats in the UK to produce ‘designer’ hybrid cats simply has no place in the 21st century. It leads to poor welfare of all animals involved as the offspring cannot be provided for sufficiently in a domestic setting.”
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill is currently awaiting its Report Stage in the House of Commons. There is no set date for the Bill to return.
Now that is something I totally agree with …..
Quite right Miss Sensible. This is another abject animal cruelty issue and should be banned under the Animal Welfare Acts. So-called “celebrities” and their media are surely to blame.
i rarely agree with anything half sausage seely does, but in this case i do
perhaps he’s finally found something worthy to do with his position
What a waste of tax payers money Bob your a twat I hope you would spend your time off which we pay to create JOBS BETTER TRAVEL OFF THE ISLAND BETTER HOUSING BUT NO YOU WANT TO STOP CATS BREEDING IDIOT GET A LIFE HE THEM SHE BE
And who says we have a failing educational system on the island…
Good grief, is this what Bob considers good use of his time serving the Island?
The Island is being destroyed by developers wanting to build on greenfield sites when there unused brownfield sites nearby. The ferries are becoming extortionate, unreliable, and only available at certain times of day destroying the Islands economy by holding its residents to ransom and overcharging its visitors.
So what does Bob do to help the community, waste his time worrying about a few cats? Talk about fiddling whilst Rome burns!
Likely would have been more useful to prevent certain peoples breeding with decent, civilised beings.
Mind the cats would kill a lot of our wonderful wildlife, so agree with Bob.
Yeah, but,..
He’s consistantly proved that he is not capable of doing anything beneficial for the Isle of Wight,
but if he can do this, at least he do something useful for some one (thing), for all he gets paid.
& if the cats benefit from it, then perhaps they can go to parliament & lobby for the Isle of Wight,..
lets face t, they couldn’t do a worse job
Prefer to just ban pet cats. Evil creatures that kill millions of wild birds every year.
So pet cats are evil because they catch birds?
Despite even the RSPB stating that pet cats have little impact on bird populations because they usually catch the old and sick ones.
Never mind that the UK has seen 18 fatal dog attacks (on humans) since 2020, six of them children, its cats that need banning.
You are a total liar wonky. RSPB state that cats kill at least 27 million birds each spring and summer in the UK:
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/gardening-for-wildlife/animal-deterrents/cats-and-garden-birds/are-cats-causing-bird-declines/
Does the RSPB mention that the raptors they suport also klll small wild birds? I have tried to save a couple of blackbirds from the ravages of a sparrowhawk, but sadly by the time I reached a local Vet, the birds had died from a beak penetration injury to their chests, causing loss of blood and shock. Now have planted more bushes making a sparrowhawk direct flight to kill impossible. There are many ways to stop domestic cats harming willife, look at suitable animal websites for advice, such as keeping cats indoors during dawn, dusk and overnight, give them lots of love, attention and interest – pretty fundamental to good animal husbandry, actually.
Why would you want to stop a sparrowhawk catching a blackbird? Sparrowhawks need to eat too. Let nature look after itself. Stop playing God. And keep cats in at all times.
This is a total lie wonky. RSPB estimates that UK cats kill at least 27 million birds each spring/summer. This figure is clearly stated on their website
So how many cats have you heard that attack humans and kill them each year, NONE unlike some breeds of dog and yes i am an animal lover and own one of each, its natures way of keeping bird population down, i suppose you say the same about how many mice they catch and kill as well, you really do need help.
OK so let the cats feed themselves and don’t give them any cat food. Soon whittle them down to an ecological equilibrium. I would also ban all dogs bigger than a Yorkshire terrier. In fact, ban all dogs as pets. Poor imprisoned creatures.
Cats are decimating bird populations worldwide and driving many species to extinction. There is nothing natural at all about some pampered house cats killing millions of wild birds for pleasure. What a stupid idea you have in your head.
And yours is so brilliant, dont feed the cats, now thats cruelty on its own you muppit.
If you want a natural situation, the cats would have to feed themselves by catching birds and rodents. Soon see how well they do then. A more “natural” situation would emerge with a sustainable cat population.
Well I agree 100% with this. A hybrid cat will be produced and it will not be a docile, loving kitty.
Many, most will end up being abandoned or handed into already over crowded shelters. Only stupid people will buy these hybrids cats and then wonder why they can’t do athing with them. Well they’re half wild for heaven’s sake!
Actually they have a reputation for being very sociable and friendly. The problem is they are very active and often very destructive (of furniture), which is why they are abandoned.
The fundamental problem with them is that they are hybrids and suffer numerous health conditions because of this. Most males are sterile. Also servals males are much bigger than the domestic females they are bred with which, as the article states, make mating painful for the female. This is why they need banning.
Bob rather than interfering with nature, why don’t you put a Stop to
Idiots parking on Pavements.
There are always idiots parked on pavements outside the old council houses along
Great Preston Road Ryde, causing an obstruction to other motorists and pedestrians.
Does the Island not own a tow truck to tow motors away who park on pavements.
T wats permanently park on pavements along Great Preston Road
very frustrating when driving along Great Preston Road
Traffic flow comes to a complete stop.
Fire Engines, Police, Ambulances, Buses and large lorries use
Great Preston Road and they all turn a blind eye to what’s happening
along Great Preston Road