Conservation groups in Australia are urging state governments to take action to contain pet cats, which are estimated to be responsible for the deaths of 323 million native animals each year. This call for action follows the release of a draft national plan to address feral cats by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. While feral cats pose a significant threat to native wildlife, domestic cats are also recognized as a concern that needs proper management.
The government’s plan to address feral cats has parallels with a threatened species strategy introduced in 2015. At that time, the government set a target to cull 2 million feral cats by 2020, a goal that was later criticized for its lack of scientific basis.
Conservation organizations, including the Nature Conservation Council and Invasive Species Council, are now advocating for changes to New South Wales legislation. Currently, this legislation prevents local councils from implementing cat containment policies.
The issue with pet cats revolves around their impact on native wildlife, primarily in urban areas. Research by Prof. Sarah Legge from the Australian National University has shown that pet cats in urban settings can kill up to 50 times more animals per square kilometer than feral cats in natural environments. Roaming pet cats can contribute to the feral cat population if they are not desexed, leading to ongoing threats to native wildlife.
According to modeling conducted by Legge for the Invasive Species Council, roaming pet cats are estimated to kill 546 million animals annually in Australia, with 323 million of them being native species. Despite many pet owners not perceiving their cats as a problem, evidence suggests that nearly all roaming pet cats hunt and kill native wildlife.
In Australia, an estimated 71% of all pet cats are allowed to roam freely, and of those, 78% engage in hunting. Alarmingly, about 85% of animals killed by pet cats are not brought home; they remain in the wild.
Some Australian states and territories have already implemented cat containment measures, which have led to a significant reduction in the number of native animals killed by pet cats. In Victoria, around half of local councils have implemented cat containment, while the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has introduced territory-wide cat containment.
The pillars of responsible cat ownership, according to Prof. Legge, include registration, identification, limiting the number of cats kept, desexing, and containment. However, there is a lack of consistency in these measures across different states and territories.
Conservation groups are now calling on the New South Wales government to amend legislation to enable local councils to enforce anti-roaming laws for pet cats. A similar situation exists in Western Australia, where regulatory provisions do not allow for enforced containment.
Cat containment is seen as a beneficial solution for both native wildlife and cat health. Cats kept indoors experience fewer vet bills, fewer accidents, and a longer lifespan compared to free-roaming cats. Additionally, they do not contribute to the mortality of birds, mammals, frogs, and reptiles.
Conservation organizations are emphasizing the need to support local governments in implementing these laws, allocating resources for enforcement, and encouraging public compliance. Solving the issue of pet cats and their impact on wildlife is seen as a straightforward task: keeping cats indoors can help resolve the problem.
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