Onkaparinga Council and the RSPCA will desex thousands of cats for free in the biggest program in Australia
Australia’s largest free cat desexing program is coming to Adelaide, and it is hoped it will make a huge impact on “uncontrolled reproduction”.
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The RSPCA and Onkaparinga Council will work together to have more than 2000 cats desexed for free in what will be largest program in Australia.
Under the two-year program, Onkaparinga residents will be able to have their cats desexed for free at the RSPCA’s Lonsdale animal shelter starting from September.
Some local vets will also provide subsidised desexing.
RSPCA South Australia chief executive Paul Stevenson said the council should be lauded for taking a lead in cat management.
“Uncontrolled reproduction is the root cause of cat overpopulation in South Australia, and the
current piecemeal approach by some councils isn’t working,” Mr Stevenson said.
“To date, we have seen 36 local councils introduce cat by-laws that although well-intentioned,
overall are highly inconsistent and we’ve not seen any tangible results through this approach.
“We expect the data collected as part of this project will prove that large-scale cat desexing
programs, supported by local councils, are the most effective way to stop indiscriminate
breeding.”
The RSPCA estimates there are more than 47,000 domestic cats in the Onkaparinga Council area.
In a presentation to the council’s July meeting, Mr Stevenson said the RSPCA and Animal Welfare League were seeing increased numbers of impounded cats.
The organisations take in more than 10,000 unwanted cats and kittens each year.
Onkaparinga Mayor Erin Thompson said desexing cats is a clear solution.
“We want people to enjoy having cats as pets, but when cats are having unwanted litters of several kittens, it can create a real problem for our city,” Ms Thompson said.
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The RSPCA and council will also promote responsible cat ownership, including desexing and keeping pets indoors at night.
“Responsible cat ownership is good for cats, it’s good for wildlife, and it’s good for neighbours,” Mayor Thompson said.
Onkaparinga residents will receive information about the program in August with the first cats to be desexed in September.
The program is funded through a $200,000 donation to the RSPCA and $50,000 from Onkaparinga Council.
