Hornsby Councillor Nathan Tilbury dilutes plans for strict controls around cat ownership
A SCHEME to restrict the number of cats per household in Hornsby was watered down at the last minute after community concerns.
Hornsby
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hornsby. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A SCHEME to restrict the number of cats per household in Hornsby was watered down at the last minute after community concerns.
Hornsby councillor Nathan Tilbury was preparing to call for the cat restrictions and prohibiting the ownership of cats in wildlife protection zones before this month’s council meeting.
However, after residents raised concerns, Cr Tilbury moved to strengthen education schemes instead.
“The reason I took that item out is because councils have not done their job to educate people in these wildlife protection areas, so that should be our first step,’’ Cr Tilbury said.
A cap on the number of cats per household was designed to protect native animals from prowling felines.
“There is clear evidence that suggests once there are more than three cats in a household, the level of compliance around microchipping, desexing, registration and vaccination drops away,” he said.
Cr Tilbury suggested subsidising the desexing and microchipping of cats, streamlining animal registration and implementing an education strategy.
The idea received unanimous support at council.
Councils have limited power in regards to significant changes to the regulations around cats as they come under the NSW Animals Companion Act.
The council will write to the State Government and seek support for the reforms.