Hornsby Shire Council push for cat containment legislation, feral cat euthanasia

A Sydney council is leading the fight against cats roaming the streets, campaigning for new legislation to keep pet cats at home as well as scrapping red tape around the euthanization of feral felines.

A Sydney council is leading the fight against cats roaming the streets in a bid to protect native wildlife, campaigning for new legislation to keep pet cats at home as well as scrapping red tape around the euthanization of feral felines.

At a recent council meeting, Hornsby councillors endorsed plans to lobby for changes in cat policy at the upcoming Local Government NSW Annual Conference.

The council is calling for support in reversing a recent change to legislation which requires seized feral cats to be advertised for rehoming and offered to animal shelters before being euthanized.

Hornsby Council policy, before the recent change in legislation, was any cat deemed as feral by a vet could be destroyed immediately.

The council is also pushing to explore new legislation to stop domestic cats roaming to protect native wildlife.

Hornsby Shire Council endorsed to cat-related motions.

However, not all members of the community were on board with Hornsby resident and Protecting Your Suburban Environment spokeswoman voicing her opposition for council’s cat euthanasia proposal which would “trap and kill” feral cats.

“With this motion, Hornsby Council is seeking … no withholding period, not bothering to try and rehome, and killing on the basis of how a cat reacts when it’s trapped,” she said.

Animal Justice Party regional group leader Sheila Milgate also spoke against council’s cat containment and euthanasia proposals at the recent meeting.

“(It’s) the immediate euthanasia of trapped cats to allow again the convenience killing of healthy animals with no chance of being rehomed,” she said.

But Hornsby Greens councillor Tania Salitra said Ms Milgate’s position was “speciesist” because it prioritised the lives of cats above other native animals.

Cr Salitra said these motions come “from a place of love” because they would help protect domestic cats, as well as native animals.

“(Most responsible cat owners know this) because they’ve either had a horrific vet bill shock from the cat being hit by a car (or) attacked by a dog, or they’ve had the ethical realisation that there cat who has killed a native bird or lizard in the garden has done so every other time they’ve been outside,” she said.

Councillors unanimously voted to submit these two cat proposals to the Local Government NSW Annual Conference, scheduled to take place in October.