AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FLOATING CONTROVERSIAL CURFEW ON PET CATS

New laws on cat ownership have already been introduced in some states.

The Albanese government is gearing up to tackle Australia’s persistent feral cat issue, which has long endangered the country’s native wildlife.

According to research detailed in the 2019 book Cats in Australia: Companion and Killer, feral cats kill billions of native animals, including mammals and birds, each year. The study found that a single feral cat in the wild can kill approximately 740 animals annually, compared to around 75 animals killed per year by a domesticated cat.

In response, Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek recently unveiled a $60 million initiative aimed at safeguarding Australia’s biodiversity. This plan focuses on eradicating feral cats and mitigating their impact on endangered species.

Approximately 5.6 million feral cats inhabit Australia’s expansive bushland. Plibersek’s plan involves utilizing artificial intelligence, drone-mounted thermal cameras, and DNA tracking technology to identify and humanely remove these predators.

Advanced technology testing is already in progress in national parks on Kangaroo Island and Christmas Island, where the effectiveness of various traps is being evaluated.

Plan to place curfew on your pet cat

While the primary target is feral cats, the government is also considering measures to address the ecological damage caused by household pets.

The government is considering policies such as night-time curfews, restrictions on the number of cats per household, and the establishment of cat-free suburbs.

The forthcoming cat abatement plan will detail these potential regulations, aiming to strike a balance between responsible pet ownership and environmental conservation.

Minister Plibersek emphasized that cats can be “dangerous and ruthless predators, driving our threatened native species—like the greater bilby, numbat, and Gilbert’s potoroo—toward the brink of extinction.”

The government’s plan calls for collaboration with state and local governments to create and enforce regulations that protect wildlife while managing domestic cats.

Several local governments have already put restrictions in place. For instance, Knox City Council in Melbourne’s East has enacted a 24-hour ban on roaming cats.

In the ACT, similar measures have been introduced in certain suburbs, mandating that all cats born after July 2022 must remain on their owners’ properties at all times.

Other states, such as Western Australia and New South Wales, are working on their own regulations. In Perth, some councils are contemplating implementing 24-hour curfews for cats.