Cats in Whittlesea will be subject to a 24-hour curfew from next August.
Council’s administrators adopted two cat management actions during the July 18 council meeting, which mandate the desexing of all newly registered cats in the municipality and a 24-hour curfew.
Both actions will come into effect on August 1, 2023 to give cat owners time to transition to the new arrangements.
Chair administrator Lydia Wilson that extensive community consultation, industry research and benchmarking of other local councils over several months influenced the decision to tackle this animal welfare issue head on.
“During our conversation with the community on how to best manage cat welfare we heard from over 1800 people with more than 80 per cent supporting some form of cat curfew and over 82 per cent supporting mandatory cat desexing for newly registered cats. I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to share their ideas,” Ms Wilson said.
“We heard that many were concerned with roaming pets and stray cats and the impact this has on wildlife and the environment and the nuisance this causes for neighbours. We also spoke to experts including vets, animal welfare and rescue groups and wildlife groups, whose valuable input helped to inform our decision.
“We have a significant cat overpopulation problem and we need strong measures to tackle this issue. The sad reality is that more than 450 impounded cats are euthanised each year in the City of Whittlesea.”
Ms Wilson said the cat curfew and mandatory desxing will help manage the city’s rapidly growing cat population while supporting the welfare of cats and local wildlife.
She said while cats needed to be confined to a property, it does not mean that cats must be kept indoors at all times.
“If you are able to cat proof your yard to avoid your cat leaving the property, cats can still spend time outdoors,” she said.
Council said it will work with neighbouring councils to determine how to implement the new actions along municipal borders.
Ms Wilson said council is offering a subsidised cat desexing program until June 2023 and will seek state government funding to extend the program.
“We understand this is a big change for many cat owners and we will provide support and information to help with the transition over the coming year, including educational information, videos and practical advice on preparing your pet and your property,” she said.
