RSPCA SA’s concern over Campbelltown Council cat bylaw
The RSPCA has hit out at a council in the process of enforcing a 24-hour cat curfew, saying the change is irresponsible and is riddled with animal welfare concerns.
North & North East
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The RSPCA has condemned a council’s new cat containment measures that would see felines confined to their homes 24/7 as irresponsible and expressed “serious” animal welfare concerns.
The council this week voted to adopt the bylaws which had previously been opposed by both the RSPCA and the Animal Welfare League.
RSPCA SA spokeswoman Carolyn Jones said there were, in their view, several issues with the changes.
“We are seriously concerned about the animal welfare issues arising from the introduction of 24/7 containment applying to existing cats,” Ms Jones said.
“We would (also) like council to specify the use of breakaway collars as other designs have been found to cause serious injuries due to cats getting legs through them or becoming ensnared on objects.”
The council’s bylaws would see it an offence for a cat to be outside the confines of its registered address at any time from the start of 2024 unless restrained.
Until then, a 9pm to 7am curfew would apply to cats unless they were outside on a leash no longer than two metres.
Ms Jones said a curfew was a “logical step towards full containment”, but described a “responsible approach” as applying containment measures to cats born after the bylaws were introduced.
She also called on the council, if they proceeded with the changes, to undertake “significant education” on the requirements of keeping cats permanently inside and to revisit the imposed limit of two cats per household.
The council had in May considered a response from the RSPCA and AWL, requested by the council, expressing Ms Jones’ concerns but moved to press on with the bylaw regardless.
At that time RSPCA and AWL chief executives Paul Stevenson and Julie Bellamy warned the groups would continue to oppose the proposed changes.
One of several council surveys undertaken as part of community consultation for the by-law indicated 70 per cent of respondents supported the changes, though other responses were less supportive.
Campbelltown Council Mayor Jill Whittaker on Thursday told The Messenger the council would be proceeding with the changes given the support of residents indicated by one of the surveys.
She said control measures had been reviewed in response to a population increase in the council area which had caused increased “problems with cat management”.
Two years ago the council attempted to introduce almost an almost identical bylaw, but was rebuked by state parliament.
The Adelaide Hills Council earlier this year became the first municipality to introduce a 24-hour cat curfew.
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