Pub cats to be permanently rehomed, brewery says

Malt and Hops are being evicted from The Wellington in Birmingham after orders from the pub's owners, Black Country Ales

A brewery has confirmed two cats which have resided at a pub in Birmingham for five years will be permanently rehomed, despite a public outcry.

Black Country Ales' decision to evict Malt and Hops from The Wellington sparked a large backlash from customers.

In a statement on Thursday, Black Country Ales said the cats would be permanently rehomed "in a safer and more fitting environment".

The brewery claimed this was in readiness for an extensive refurbishment and correction of significant building issues at the pub, among other issues.

A spokesperson for the brewery said: "Whilst we understand that many people enjoy the independent nature of cats, which do exactly as they please, it does mean that their confinement indoors has raised challenges in maintaining good hygiene and tidiness.

"And, of course, many people do not want the unsolicited company of a cat with their pint or sandwich.

"We assure everyone that the welfare of the cats is uppermost in our own thinking, and that of the licensee whom we met today and who is in agreement with the plan."

The cats could often be found lounging around the pub on Bennetts Hill

The Wellington shared a campaign flyer earlier this week, asking customers to "save our cats", saying they were "heartbroken at the idea of removing the cats from their home".

It also said the felines were "adored by staff and customers alike".

A petition to keep the cats at the pub has reached more than 4,500 signatures, but the brewery's statement on Thursday confirmed it was not backing down to public pressure.

Malt and Hops are due to be permanently rehomed, after living at the Birmingham pub since they were kittens

Customers have taken to social media over the past few days to voice their disappointment over the brewery's decision.

One person said it was "blatant disregard of the voice of their own customers" and that they would not be supporting the brewery's pubs for the foreseeable future.

Another said: "Not sure why anyone would be so heartless as to turf them out after five years."

Dale Harvey, one half of the duo The Great British Pub Crawl, said the brewery had made a grave mistake in its decision to remove the cats, urging them to "rethink" and "do the right thing".

Mr Harvey told the BBC: "I'm actually appalled by the decision to be honest.

"[It's] a brewery I actually speak quite highly of whenever I visit their pubs but this is a really bad decision.

"We travel all over the UK and there aren't many pubs with proper pub cats, but the ones that have them are a real talking point.

"If cat cafe businesses can operate with cats living on site and people enjoying drinks and food then there is absolutely no reason why The Wellington can't continue doing so."

The cats have lived at the pub for five years and have been beloved by many