Julian joins Cats Protection to find out how charity is helping domestic abuse victim-survivors
November 29, 2023
Julian joined fellow MPs and members of the House of Lords to discuss how the charity is supporting victim-survivors flee domestic abuse.
The UK’s biggest cat charity hosted the parliamentary reception to raise awareness among politicians of its Lifeline service, which provides free and confidential cat fostering to enable owners to escape domestic abuse.
The charity used the event to highlight findings revealing that 78% of domestic abuse professionals surveyed had encountered cases where cats were targeted by abusers – often to control or coerce a partner or family member and to stop them leaving.
Because most refuges are unable to take pets, cat owners face the agonising choice of remaining with their abuser or fleeing without their pet, knowing it may come to harm. Horrifyingly, the survey also revealed that 39% of domestic abuse professionals have encountered cases where a cat or kitten has been killed by a perpetrator of domestic abuse.
