The biggest failure of the cat laws that have been rolled out across WA, is that they encourage and increase the impoundment and killing of cats, while claiming to reduce the impoundment and killing of cats.
When the story we tell the community is that there is only two types of cats – those owned by ‘responsible’ owners who keep their pets indoors, and ‘feral cats’ who should be trapped – we set the majority of cats up (as unowned and semi-owned cats and indoor/outdoor pets, who outnumber indoor-only cats several to one) to be trapped, and see pets becoming the victims of cat haters.
It could be assumed that major cat groups would lobby for laws which protect the majority of cats. Laws which enhance existing anti-cruelty legislation, or that which encourages tolerance, or protects those people supporting community cats. But what we see instead is the exact opposite – major groups working hard to empower cat haters, arm them with traps, and design protections for pounds. Even when those pounds operate with inhumane policies like killing fractious cats on intake without scanning for chips, killing cats with common and treatable illness, killing very young animals rather than care for them and failing to operate any kind of online, photo-based lost and found service.
In short, major cat groups have helped the pendulum swing to a point where cats in WA have practically no protections whatsoever. And loved family pets are being caught in the cross-fire:
Cat trap fears
Christopher Ludlum and Deeanne Carr are concerned about the safety of their “surrogate children,” after their neighbour hired cat traps from the City of Mandurah.
“He said he will kill any cats he catches.”
“I object to the cages because there are no regulations guaranteeing that the person laying the traps will do the right thing,” Mr Ludlum said.
“We once had the cull program folks knock on our door, holding our cat by the scruff of the neck, advising us if they caught it again they would destroy it.”
Cat owners and their pets should be being supported and defended by major cat protection groups, not thrown under the bus thanks to badly thought out laws which put pets at risk of extreme harm.
There are zero feral cats in suburbia where a regular community member might place a trap. None. The cats getting caught are either pets, community cats, or strays who are largely human dependant. All of which deserve cat welfare groups who actually respect their right to protection, and that includes protection from being processed by ‘shelters’ who are currently the largest risk to healthy cat’s lives.
I have written to the shire of swan expressing my concern ages ago before the cat laws came into effect as I have for instance a couple of nasty people that live near me that carry on about cats and killing birds. One reported me for feeding two little stray kittens saying they were killing wildlife, so I had to get a cage, I was advised by the council that they would be euthanized, so I found out about Banjup animal rescue. As I thought I hadn’t fed these cats for six months to be euthanized.
I noticed Mundaring shire had a list of support services for animals whereas Swan Shire has none, they weren’t interested when I suggested alternatives to their pound.
Earlier this year, I requested clarification on the laws as not all cats can safely wear collars without endangering themselves. I’m not referring to kittens that manage to get them off, but fully grown, microchipped, sterilised house cats who can be put in danger or physically injure themselves wearing a collar. The response I got was poorly written, and very clearly written by someone who probably doesn’t own a cat, and has no idea what rangers do or the equipment they have to hand. Even the email itself had no subject header (I put my inquiry through an online contact form). It was made very quickly, very clear that there was no intention to actually have any concern for the welfare of the animals. Keep in mind whilst reading this that sterilised and chipped cats have tattoos, and ALL rangers carry hand scanners for chips:
“As of 1 November 2013, it will be a requirement for all domestic cats to be registered, microchipped and sterilised. There are penalties for not complying with these requirements, and there is no provision that enables a veterinarian to issue some sort of certificate or letter to that effect stating a cat cannot wear a collar for whatever reasons.
The collar and identification tag requirement, similar to those currently applying to dog owners, will provide a quick and highly visual means of identifying and distinguishing between owned, unowned, and stray cats when in public places. More importantly, it will enable local governments to return these loved pets to their owners quickly rather than impounding them.
In the absence of a quick and reliable identification tag system, local government enforcement officers and rangers may inadvertently trap and impound owned cats and thereby trigger unnecessary impounding and administrative costs and fees to otherwise responsible cat owners.
Although your concerns with the risks associated with cats wearing collars is acknowledged and understood, placing requirements on cat owners for their cats, such as wearing collars and mandatory microchipping and sterilisation, is necessary to strengthen the management and control of domestic cats in the community and to bring about more responsible cat ownership. Essentially, it is anticipated that the number of stray cats in the community will reduce as a result of these controls.”
I have responded, and included my local MP in my response.