AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FLOATING CONTROVERSIAL CURFEW ON PET CATS

The Albanese government is gearing up to address Australia’s feral cat problem, a longstanding issue that significantly impacts the country’s native wildlife.

Research published in the 2019 book Cats in Australia: Companion and Killer indicates that billions of native animals, including mammals and birds, are killed by cats each year. The study found that each feral cat in the bush kills approximately 740 animals annually, while a domesticated cat kills around 75.

Recently, Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek announced a $60 million initiative aimed at protecting Australia’s biodiversity, with a focus on eradicating feral cats and mitigating their threat to endangered species.

Approximately 5.6 million feral cats inhabit Australia’s extensive bushland. Plibersek’s plan incorporates artificial intelligence, drone-based thermal cameras, and DNA tracking technology to identify and humanely eliminate these predators.

Testing of these advanced technologies is already taking place 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 main focus is on feral cats, the government is also exploring measures to mitigate the ecological damage caused by pet cats.

The government is considering policies like night-time curfews, limits 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 pet ownership and environmental conservation.

Minister Plibersek stated that cats can be “dangerous and ruthless predators, pushing our threatened native species such as the greater bilby, numbat, and Gilbert’s potoroo to 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, including Knox City Council in Melbourne’s east, which enforces a 24-hour ban on roaming cats.

The ACT has implemented similar rules in certain suburbs, requiring all cats born after July 2022 to stay on their owners’ properties at all times.

Other states, such as Western Australia and New South Wales, are currently developing their own regulations, with some councils in Perth contemplating 24-hour curfews.