As someone who has been involved in campaigning for animal rights since I was a young man, I can absolutely sympathise with the aims of the campaign to improve kitten welfare. Separating kittens, or puppies, too young from their mothers causes lasting damaging, both physical and psychological. Animal welfare is devolved and I am pleased to say that in Scotland we already have legislation put in place by the SNP Government. In Scotland you are not allowed to sell a young cat or dog except where you hold a licence or where you are selling the offspring of a cat or dog that is kept as a pet. Breach of these rules can result in a fine or up to three months imprisonment. When granting a licence the licensing authority must ‘have particular regard’ to certain criteria being met. These include the conditions that the animals are kept in, that they are well fed and have access to water, that they are visited regularly, protected from dangers such as a fire or other emergencies and that the all reasonable precautions are taken to prevent and control the spread of infectious and contagious diseases. There is also the clause that ‘the licence holder must not, without reasonable excuse, keep a cat or dog which is less than 8 weeks of age at any time unless that cat or dog is accompanied by its mother’. You can look at the detail of the Scottish statutory instrument here.
The Scottish Government are committed to a review of this legislation with a view to strengthening it further. They are currently discussing animal welfare legislation in Scotland with stakeholder groups and will undertake a full public consultation meaning any changes will be based on sound evidence. I would like to see the legislation strengthened to ensure that any loopholes are closed as I believe the welfare of animals should be a priority for any decent, civilised society.