A determined campaign by grieving cat owners is surging towards forcing a parliamentary debate on new laws that would make it illegal for drivers to hit a cat and simply drive away. With just two weeks until its deadline, the petition “Legislate to require drivers to report collisions with cats” has already gathered more than 60,500 signatures and is accelerating fast. If it hits 100,000 by June 17, MPs will be forced to consider the issue in Parliament.
The drive was launched by the group Cats Matter after the heartbreaking death of Henry, a much-loved cat struck by a vehicle and left dying alone on the roadside in April 2017. Co-founders Mandy and Tiya, alongside campaigner Carlie Power, say the trauma of discovering their pets abandoned in pain has fuelled a national movement. The campaigners say: “Accidents will sadly always happen. What we cannot accept is drivers who drive off and leave cats scared, alone, in pain, or worse, roadside. Not stopping to help a cat is unforgivable.”
Under current UK road traffic law, drivers must stop and report collisions involving dogs and certain livestock. Striking a dog—even breeds much smaller than the average cat—already carries a strict legal duty. Yet cats, treated as “free-roaming” animals, enjoy no such protection. Campaigners call this distinction outdated and unjust.
The petition does not seek criminal records or financial penalties for motorists who stop and do the right thing. Instead, it demands a simple requirement: stop, check, and report any collision so an injured cat can receive help. Those who fail to do so would face accountability.
The campaigners say: “We refuse to go away until the Government acknowledges cats matter just as much as dogs do.” They have handed in the petition at Downing Street and worked alongside vets, including at the Blue Cross hospital in Victoria, supporting road traffic accident victims.
Supporters argue the change is modest and compassionate. Cats are now microchipped by law, making identification easier, yet drivers can still legally ignore a collision. Campaigners reject government arguments that cats are too small to notice, pointing out that many responsible drivers already stop — while others do not.
The push comes amid growing frustration that common decency is not enough. Thousands of cats are killed or injured on UK roads each year, many left to suffer without intervention.
With momentum building rapidly in the final sprint, the campaigners are making one last appeal: “Help us keep the pressure on. Signatures cost nothing but could save countless cats from unnecessary suffering.”
Photos circulating with the appeal show Henry, the cat whose death sparked the fight; campaigners outside No.10; and Mandy assisting vets with an injured feline.
