Roaming cats kill 47 million native Perth animals a year. These crusaders want that to end

Western Australia’s cat control crusaders have accused the state government of being so blinkered by puppy farming that it has failed to stop free-range felines from killing 47 million mammals, birds and reptiles in Perth every year.

Ahead of the March election, the WA Feral Cat Working Group has urged the government to promise to allow councils to introduce laws forcing the owners of Perth’s 450,000 pet cats to keep them on their property.

A Buff Banded Rail caught by a cat at Lake Gwelup.Credit: Friends of Lake Gwelup/Facebook

About 20 local governments have tried but failed to implement cat containment laws because they extended beyond the powers of the WA Cat Act, which does not prescribe rules on roaming pet cats. State law takes precedence over local government laws.

The Commonwealth government estimates pet cats kill about 1.5 billion native animals every year and the working group estimates in Perth that number is around 47 million.

The WA working group has pleaded with successive local government ministers to alter the legislation to empower councils to devise their own laws, but says it continues to be stonewalled.

The government has repeatedly said it has been focused on implementing the Stop Puppy Farming laws – passed in 2021 – including cat-related changes like introducing the PetsWA central registration system.

Working group member and City of Fremantle councillor Adin Lang said the repetitive puppy farming message was perplexing.

“Firstly, puppy farming legislation was passed in 2021. Secondly, I fail to see how puppy farming can be used to quell community concerns around endangered native wildlife being slaughtered and cats getting killed by cars on a daily basis,” he said.

“Three, totally separate animal welfare issues are being conflated here – the health of dogs, cats and our native wildlife.

“Numerous surveys highlight the community is overwhelmingly in support of cat containment to protect both our native wildlife and pet cats, yet WA lags the nation as highlighted recently by our federal environment minister.”

A 2019 survey of Cat Act stakeholders found 73 per cent of respondents supported the confinement of cats to the owner’s property (that number dropped to 49 per cent for cat owners).

That survey was part of a statutory five-year review of the Cat Act, which the working group had hoped would prompt the government to act on containment laws. But it did not, and is now gearing up for the next five-year review.

Working group executive Dr Bruce Webber said he was frustrated they were going through the review process again when much of the public was behind containment laws.

“What was once an emotive, often illogical argument had evolved into a rational understanding of what best practice ownership looks like,” he said.

“Cat lovers and conservationists are now working together, recognising they both want the same outcome.”

Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley said the new review was an important opportunity for the state government to consider how it could support local government, rescue groups and other organisations involved in cat and dog care.

She reiterated the government remained committed to delivering on its puppy farming election commitment, which included PetsWA.

“Work on PetsWA is progressing, and it is expected to be operational later in 2025,” she said.

“PetsWA will provide much stronger traceability for pet dogs and cats throughout their lifespan and support local governments to enforce the Cat Act 2011 and Dog Act 1976 and associated local laws.”

Last year, the state launched a five-year plan to manage invasive feral cats in WA, which included a $2.6 million feral cat bating program and $2 million for natural resource grant program as well as other research programs.

The state’s feral cat management program has invested $1 million in eight projects, with a further $500,000 to be made available via a third-round next year.

The WA Liberals declined to comment.

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