PICTURE: This boobook owl had to be euthanased by a vet after being attacked by a roaming cat. Credit: ABC News Claire Moodie.
Local Councils need to step up and join the chorus of calls for cat containment.
CAT RUNS where pet felines have to be contained and “cat-free” suburbs could become common across Australia if local councils, backed by scientists, have their way, writes Claire Moodie in:Councils ramp up pressure on state governments to overhaul Australian cat laws (ABC News, 16.02.2023)
Key points:
- Pet cats kill about 340 million native animals a year in Australia
- The management of pet cats falls to local councils
- But many say their efforts to contain cats are being hampered by state laws
At a cat symposium in Perth in early February, scientists reiterated the massive toll cats take on native animals.
They said many people did not understand that domestic cats, as well as feral cats, were responsible for the devastation.
Australian National University wildlife ecologist Professor Sarah Legge, said:
“For a start, there’s actually more pet cats in the country than there are feral cats. We have over five million pet cats but … a bit over two million feral cats.”
“Pet cats kill wildlife but a lot of pet owners aren’t aware of that because they don’t see their pet cats hunting.
“But your cat will only bring back on average 20 per cent of of what it kills.
“So for every bird you find on your doormat, there’s another four lying somewhere under the bushes on average.”
“We have lots of areas with bandicoots, beautiful bird life and we know that they are taking a hit,” says City of Kwinana Mayor, Carol Adams.
Editor MMM – Too many people are living in denial. Since they find it too hard to self regulate, the sooner we have these changes enacted the sooner we help reduce the harm done by roaming domestic cats.
