Onkaparinga Council has joined the campaign for stricter cat management laws

Another Adelaide council is campaigning to keep cats contained to their owners’ properties. Find out what this could mean for your moggy.

This family of ducks was killed by a cat which broke into an enclosure at Minton Farm. Picture: Bev Langley

Onkaparinga Council has joined calls for cat containment following attacks at a local animal rescue but cat advocates are saying the move is uncalled for.

Mayor Erin Thompson presented a motion at the council’s Tuesday night meeting calling for the council to advocate for State Government policy change around cat management.

The council will advocate for a statewide approach to cat management including a focus on containing animals to their properties around the clock.

Earlier this week Campbelltown Council passed a new bylaw forcing cat owners in Adelaide’s northeast to keep their felines on leashes at all times when off their properties from 2024.

The motion comes just weeks after a family of ducks and ducklings were killed at Minton Farm Animal Rescue in Cherry Gardens.

Minton Farm founder Bev Langley told the council the ducklings had been killed by cats which could be seen on the rescue’s trail cameras.

“The same enclosure was full of bantams, if that was a fox … it would have been indiscriminate killings but the cat left all the bantams alive twice,” she said.

“This was the tip of the iceberg, in 28 years we’ve rescued 13,000 animals and I’ve sucked it up and got on with it and helped the animals.

“This was the tipping point when those ducks were killed and then a week later the next lot of ducks were killed.

“Something has to be done.”

Minton Farm founders Glenn and Bev Langley at their Cherry Gardens animal rescue. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Ms Langley said there were obvious differences in the style of attack and wounds caused in cat and fox attacks.

But cat advocacy group Cats Assistance to Sterilise (C.A.T.S) Inc said the attacks were “clearly” the work of foxes.

“To attribute this attack to cats flies in the face of scientific evidence of cat behaviour,” C.A.T.S member Kat Lee told the council.

“Cats do not really attack wildlife, they mainly attack mice, rats and very rarely will attack a pigeon.

“They don’t attack any other birds because (the birds) are too fast for them.”

Onkaparinga Council will advocate with the State Government for stricter cat legislation. Picture: iStock

The council voted to write to the State Government and Landscape Board to advocate for more strict cat management legislation including containment.

“We’re not trying to cull cats so Garfield, Tabby, Felix, Napping Tom - you’re all safe. No one’s coming for you,” councillor Marion Themeliotis said.

“We’re just here looking at options of desexing, microchipping, cat containment and education.

“It’s all of those things together, it’s not just one element.”

The council will also provide Minton Farm with $14,991 from its unallocated funds to aid in cat and fox proofing the property.