Statement regarding presence of kitten in Big Brother household

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LEADING UK feline welfare charity, Cats Protection, has supported the RSPCA’s condemnation of Big Brother production company, Endemol, for recently providing Big Brother housemates with a kitten.

‘We are shocked at the irresponsible decision to give the Big Brother housemates a kitten to play with, and sincerely hope that no animal will be used in the show as a plaything again’, said Helen Ralston, the charity’s Chief Executive. ‘Homing a pet is a serious decision. Placing a kitten in a strange, noisy and temporary environment shows scant regard for the animal’s welfare, and is extremely inappropriate’.

Cats Protection has received enquiries from the programme makers in the past concerning the suitability of having a Big Brother ‘house cat’. The charity strongly advised against such a move and is disappointed that its advice has been subsequently ignored.


Response from Channel 4 regarding the kitten in the Big Brother house:

On Monday, 25 July, a reputable film and television animal handling company provided Big Brother with a kitten as part of a task. The kitten remained in the Big Brother house for one hour only and was accompanied by a professional animal handler who monitored the animal throughout the period it remained in the house. As the Big Brother house is equipped with many cameras and is viewed by many production team members 24 hours a day, this was a very safe environment for the kitten to be in. In addition, the housemates were provided with specific instructions on how to care for the kitten. We are satisfied that the kitten did not suffer any distress.