Missing cat lottery ad gets backlash from cat owners who call it disgraceful

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Never get between a cat and its owner, as the UK National Lottery found out.

Their ad about a missing cat caused a hissyfit from pet lovers.

Hundreds of people complained to the lottery’s owner Camelot and the Advertising Standards Authority.

This came along with criticism on social media about the 30-second ad which aired in 2016.

Since the ad's launch in 2016 the YouTube video has had only 13 likes   Photo: YouTube

The fuss was because critics believed the ad suggests players will be more likely to win a lottery prize than find their missing feline.

And no one likes the thought of a lost cat.

The ad from the UK National Lottery shows a woman putting up a lost cat poster on a street lamp post next to the busy A202 road in London.

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The actor gives a heartfelt kiss to the poster in the hope it will help get her cat back   Photo: YouTube

She gives a tender kiss to the photo of her 6-year-old feline called George, and the camera cuts to the busy road.

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This outcome doesn't look promising, has something happened to George?   Photo: YouTube

Then the ad goes on to show the chances of finding a cat which has disappeared in the busy area are zero.

But encouragingly a lottery scratch-off has a chance of 1 in 4 of winning.

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You may not get your lost cat back says the Lottery, but you will have a better chance of winning the lottery   Photo: YouTube

And cat owners are angry about the insensitive ad. On the lottery’s Facebook page visitors have said the campaign is ‘cruel, disgusting and disgraceful.’

A very small minority of commenters did see the funny side of the advert however, reported Metro.

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Stuart Maclaren said: 'I think it's funny and true - why would it be offensive?'

And some viewers simply thought the advert was wrong.

Kaila Ness said: 'My cat's gone missing four times just this year - and I haven't won the lottery once.

'I found my cat every time though. What are the odds.'

Camelot, owners of the UK National Lottery said: 'The ad in question is one of a series of six different ads for our GameStore range of instant win games.

'Shown only on certain online channels and video-on-demand services, we wanted the campaign, which finishes this month, to come across as tongue-in-cheek and not to be taken too seriously.

'The ad in question is entirely fictionalised and no cats actually appeared in it.

'Nonetheless, we are aware that a small number of people are unhappy about the ad and we’re really sorry if we’ve unintentionally caused any offence or distress. We will certainly pass their feedback to the relevant teams here.'

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