One little cat. One devastating loss. One campaign to change the law.
Monty’s Law was born out of heartbreak, but it exists because something needs to change.
In March 2022, I lost my beautiful cat, Monty, after he was hit by a car. He was just eight months old.
What followed was a loss that changed my life. But alongside the grief came a question that I couldn’t shake:
Why is there no legal requirement in England for a driver who hits a cat to stop, check on the animal and report what has happened?
Under current UK law, drivers are required to stop and report collisions involving certain animals, but cats are not included in that requirement.
I couldn’t understand why.
Cats are loved, cherished members of families. They have names, personalities, favourite places to sleep and people who adore them. They are not disposable, and their lives should not be treated as any less important.
And so Monty’s Law began.
What is Monty’s Law?
Monty’s Law is a campaign calling for a change in legislation to introduce a legal duty for drivers who are involved in a collision with a cat to:
- Stop safely and check on the animal.
- Establish whether the cat is alive or injured.
- Take reasonable steps to ensure the animal receives appropriate help.
- Report the collision so that the owner can be identified and informed, where possible.
A cat may appear lifeless but still be alive. It may be seriously injured and in desperate need of veterinary treatment.
Minutes can matter.
A driver stopping, checking and reporting what has happened could make the difference between an animal receiving help and being left injured, frightened and alone.
And even when a cat cannot be saved, their family deserves to know what has happened.
What this campaign is NOT about
Let’s be absolutely clear.
Monty’s Law is not a campaign about:
- Forcing owners to keep their cats indoors.
- Making microchipping the central focus of the legislation.
- Blaming cat owners for allowing their animals outdoors.
- Suggesting that cats should be treated differently depending on where they live.
Cats can escape. Indoor cats can get outside. Accidents happen.
This campaign is about the responsibility of the person involved in the collision.
It is about doing the right thing when an animal’s life may depend on it.
Why are we campaigning?
About Monty’s Law 💙🐾
One little cat. One devastating loss. One campaign to change the law.
Monty’s Law was born out of heartbreak, but it exists because something needs to change.
In March 2022, I lost my beautiful cat, Monty, after he was hit by a car. He was just eight months old.
What followed was a loss that changed my life. But alongside the grief came a question that I couldn’t shake:
Why is there no legal requirement in England for a driver who hits a cat to stop, check on the animal and report what has happened?
Under current UK law, drivers are required to stop and report collisions involving certain animals, but cats are not included in that requirement.
I couldn’t understand why.
Cats are loved, cherished members of families. They have names, personalities, favourite places to sleep and people who adore them. They are not disposable, and their lives should not be treated as any less important.
And so Monty’s Law began.
What is Monty’s Law?
Monty’s Law is a campaign calling for a change in legislation to introduce a legal duty for drivers who are involved in a collision with a cat to:
- Stop safely and check on the animal.
- Establish whether the cat is alive or injured.
- Take reasonable steps to ensure the animal receives appropriate help.
- Report the collision so that the owner can be identified and informed, where possible.
A cat may appear lifeless but still be alive. It may be seriously injured and in desperate need of veterinary treatment.
Minutes can matter.
A driver stopping, checking and reporting what has happened could make the difference between an animal receiving help and being left injured, frightened and alone.
And even when a cat cannot be saved, their family deserves to know what has happened.
What this campaign is NOT about
Let’s be absolutely clear.
Monty’s Law is not a campaign about:
- Forcing owners to keep their cats indoors.
- Making microchipping the central focus of the legislation.
- Blaming cat owners for allowing their animals outdoors.
- Suggesting that cats should be treated differently depending on where they live.
Cats can escape. Indoor cats can get outside. Accidents happen.
This campaign is about the responsibility of the person involved in the collision.
It is about doing the right thing when an animal’s life may depend on it.
Why are we campaigning?
Behind every statistic is a cat.
Behind every cat is a family.
And behind many of these families is a devastating experience: a missing cat, an unexpected phone call, a neighbour finding their beloved pet, or the awful discovery that their cat has been killed on the road.
Some drivers stop. Some people go out of their way to help. Some members of the public take injured cats to veterinary practices, search for owners and make sure animals are not left alone.
But there are also cases where drivers leave without checking, without reporting and without giving anyone the opportunity to help.
We believe that stopping and reporting should not simply be a matter of personal choice.
It should be a legal responsibility.
Making our voices heard
Monty’s Law is working to bring this issue to the attention of Parliament, Government, animal welfare organisations and the wider public.
We are engaging with MPs, seeking evidence from other countries, exploring practical reporting systems and gathering real-life experiences from people affected by road collisions involving cats.
We want legislation that is practical, proportionate and enforceable.
We know that changing the law takes time. We know there will be questions, challenges and obstacles along the way.
But we also know that doing nothing is not an acceptable answer.
Every story matters
One of the most important parts of this campaign is giving people a voice.
We want to hear from people who have lost cats in road collisions, those whose cats have survived, people who have found injured animals and those who have witnessed the aftermath of these incidents.
These stories are not simply sad anecdotes.
They demonstrate why change is needed. They give a human face to the issue and help decision-makers understand the real consequences of the current situation.
With permission, we will share selected stories as guest features on this blog.
Because these experiences deserve to be heard.
How you can help
You don’t need to be a campaigner, an expert or an animal welfare professional to make a difference.
You can help by:
- Following and sharing the Monty’s Law campaign.
- Sharing your own experiences.
- Encouraging friends and family to support the campaign.
- Contacting your local MP and asking them to support legislative change.
- Helping us reach organisations and people who can make a difference.
Every conversation helps. Every shared story matters. Every voice adds to the call for change.
And finally, Monty.
This campaign will always be about more than legislation.
It is about a little cat who was loved beyond words.
It is about the family who never got the chance to say goodbye in the way they deserved.
It is about every cat who has been left on a roadside, every owner who has searched for answers and every person who has stood in the rain wishing they could have done more.
I cannot change what happened to Monty.
But perhaps I can help change what happens to the cats who come after him.
I don’t know how far this campaign will go. I don’t know how long it will take. But I know that I cannot sit back and accept that this is simply how things are.
Monty may have been one little cat, but his story has the potential to make a difference to thousands of others.
This is for Monty.
And for every cat who deserves better.
One little life. One big change. Monty’s Law.
💙🐾
