Photo credit: ABC News 2016 – Researchers say the movement of cats should be restricted the same as dogs. (Supplied: Jiri Lochman)
Native possum suffers pain and serious injuries
A common occurrence that is repeated across the country everyday, all because a vocal group can’t accept that native animals have rights and deserve protection from invasive roaming domestic cats.
A young possum found clinging to a road sign in the scorching heat shows why many Aussies are backing a contentious push to enforce tougher restrictions on pet owners.
In: Sad find on road sign as Aussie state mulls major change for millions of pet owners, Nick Whigham, News Editor at Yahoo News, 2 March 2025, writes that: Domestic cats could soon face less freedoms in Australia’s most populous state.
The native possum was spotted by a young child clinging to the sign outside their school in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne earlier this week, clearly showing signs of distress.
“I got called at 3pm when a parent went to pick up their child, that poor possum had suffered all day,” wildlife rescuer Michele Phillips told Yahoo News. “It had obviously been attacked during the night and run up there to be safe,” she said.
She could tell from the injuries to the possum behind its neck that it had “definitely” been attacked by a cat.
“It had to be euthanised because it had horrific injuries,” she lamented. “Ninety-nine per cent of the possums I get in are due to their mums being killed by a cat.”
“Despite strong public backing for cat containment, outdated laws in NSW prevent councils from acting. This is in stark contrast to Victoria which has empowered councils to introduce containment rules, and over half have done so. The ACT has also mandated cat containment territory-wide.”
Pet owners and other stakeholders can provide feedback for the NSW review here.
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Free ranging cats still considered okay by many
‘You can’t ban compassion’: helping stray cats is illegal in much of Australia – but for some, it’s worth the risk, Stephanie Convey, The Guardian, Feb 23, 2025.
Sarah knows they can be ‘incredibly destructive’ to the environment – but she doesn’t understand how people can look at a hungry cat and not feed it.
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In 2023, the Nature Conservation Council, Invasive Species Council, Birdlife Australia, Wires and the Australian Wildlife Society called for local councils to enforce anti-roaming laws for pet cats.
The NSW parliamentary inquiry currently underway is yet to release its findings.
In the meantime a new inquiry has been announced by the OLG.
Submissions are open until May 4th.
Have your say on the Companion Animals Act 1998 review
The Office of Local Government (OLG) has published a discussion paper as the first step in a review of the Companion Animals Act 1998 (CA Act).
Read the Discussion Paper
We are seeking input from councils, pet owners, and institutions who have pet care or management responsibilities to inform future amendments to the CA Act. A key aim of this consultation is to ensure that the updated legislation improves responsible pet ownership across NSW, ensuring the well-being of pets and the safety of our communities. And MHCS would add – the safety of native wildlife is paramount.
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Dogs trained to hunt raccoons used for Kangaroo Island feral cats, by Kerry Staight, ABC News. March 15, 2025.
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There are 32 invasive weeds of national significance – these are 10 of the worst, by Gavin McGrath. ABC News, March 15, 2025 – Lantana has run rampant across Munibung Hill.
More in MMM, Issue 49, Apr-May 2025
