The government is constantly implementing laws in favour of animals and has a national strategy with a vision that aims to protect the rights of animals in Maltese society, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Rights said in a statement on Tuesday.

It was replying to an earlier statement issued by the Nationalist Party.

The secretariat said that the government has introduced several regulations in recent months aimed at raising the standards of the services offered for animals, "including pet groomers and pet boarders or sitters law, the law on the prohibition of breeding and keeping of Mixed Bully Breeds," which had been announced earlier in the day, "and also the law that regulates the feeding of cats".

It said that the law is there to recognise the work done in the sector and assist where necessary, adding that it is not there to punish those who do good, but those who abuse. It continued that if one sees an animal on the street and gives it food or drink, then they will not be fined as long as they clean up afterwards. However, the secretariat said that those who throw food and water outside, "which in several cases are leftovers from the household's food," and leave it there under the pretext of feeding cats, they will be identified and fined for doing so.

It continued that with the law, it is not just the rights of the animals that must be protected, but also the rights of the residents who reside in the surrounding area. "In order to preserve hygiene," it remarked, referring to insects, hornets, mice, and other things which may relocate to places where there is food out. "These endanger the health and safety of people and the cats themselves," the secretariat commented.

Regarding the register of cat feeders, the secretariat said that the register is there so that it is known who the people responsible for areas and cat colonies are, which would reduce abuses and allow for these registered feeders to be assisted through various schemes and initiatives such as the cat feeders' scheme and neutering campaigns. It added that the government does not want to stop the feeding of cats, and is allocating €350,000 in a food voucher scheme to assist in feeding efforts. It continued that cat feeders should be registered with their colonies so that it can be assured that the schemes and initiatives reach those "who genuinely do this philanthropic work".

The secretariat concluded by saying that the Opposition "has never tried to look at animal rights". It continued that this is evidenced by the time the Opposition had spent in government, "where it never proposed regulations that would be able to regularise the sector, and thus reduce animal abuse".

It added that it is "a great pity" that one could "twist the good being done in order to try to take political advantage", and remarked that the Opposition is trying to hinder the good being done through "incorrect information and fear" instead of participating and proposing regulations for the sector.

Anyone who wishes to register as a cat feeder can do so with their local council. The secretariat said that there is no deadline for when one can register.