"We have absolutely no intention of banning cats." That was the unequivocal response of first minister John Swinney when asked about shock recommendations from an animal welfare body.
Scotland made bizarre headlines on Monday this week as it emerged the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC), a body set up to advise the Scottish Government, had asked ministers to consider a cat ban to protect birds and other wildlife.
The news provoked a strong response from cat lovers across the country, and forced the first minister to come out and address the issue.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Swinney said: "We have absolutely no intention of banning cats. There's no way that's going to happen."
When questioned about the prospect of softer measures such as cat curfew, he said: "I'm giving you a very clear statement - we're not going to do that."
Each year in the UK cats kill 27million birds, along with 250,000 bats.