The Greatest destruction of cats ever?

During the second world war in the UK the Government decided that pets were a problem. These animals required food that was needed for people and they were a distraction from the War effort. Over 750,000 pets were killed and destroyed during the early years of the war - some in bombing raids, many because they were thrown onto the streets and many put down because of the pressure on food supplies. There were to be criminal sanctions and prosecutions for cat owners who gave their cats milk.

The Ministry declared 'Too many of this country's 7 million cats are overfed, given portions of meat and fish to a man would be the equivalent of a 3 lb joint every lunchtime.' Cats, it was alleged, consumed 40 million gallons of milk a year - a piece of Government imaginative accountancy. The problem was that the ordinary cat lover wasn't having it and the Ministry had to lighten its tone even accepting that some cats were engaged
in work 'of national importance' catching mice and rats on industrial premises. Nonetheless thousands were killed during this period with little or no memorial!

Cat ready for action with gun and tin foil hat

Source: Bonzo's War: Animals Under Fire Clare Campbell published by Constable and Robinson