Cat Bill seen as declawed as plan would not ban roaming

The age-old dog versus cat debate has taken a new twist in Tasmania and the owners of one breed could be able to face tougher restrictions.

THE age-old dog versus cat debate has taken a new twist in Tasmania.

With only days before submissions are due for the state’s draft cat management laws, stakeholders are urging the State Government to apply the same rules to cats as dogs.

Ten Lives Cat Centre manager Noel Hunt said he would have liked to have seen laws which forced people to contain cats to their homes or yards 24-7.

“The model we would like to see is that cats are treated the same as dogs and are required to be under your control or kept on your property,” he said.

Mr Hunt said the public was already becoming aware of the need to contain their cats, and the cat centre was seeing more people who were walking their cats on leads and buying outdoor cat enclosures.

“We do support the changes, but it’s disappointing they don’t go far enough,” Mr Hunt said.

Tasmanian Conservation Trust director Peter McGlone said the bill should have introduced mandatory containment of cats.

“We support all the provisions but the one big thing that’s missing is any proposal to regulate roaming pet cats,” Mr McGlone said.

“If it’s good enough to control dogs it should be good enough to do the same thing with cats,” he said.

An early version of the draft cat management plan had proposed mandatory confinement of cats, but the final version of the draft Cat Management Amendment Bill 2019 left it out.

“It’s disappointing because I’ve never heard of any compelling reason for backing down on it,” Mr McGlone said.

The draft bill, which is open for community feedback until close of business Friday, has proposed compulsory desexing and microchipping of all cats, a limit of four cats per property unless a breeder, a registered cat breeder permit system and support for landowners o control roaming cats.

Under the plan, local councils are permitted to make by-laws relating to cat management.

Kingborough Council has introduced bylaws on Bruny Island which could see cat owners fined $600 if they let their cats stray.

BRUNY ISLAND CAT-CONTROL MEASURES TO COME AT A COST

Mr McGlone said the state government could have banned roaming cats across the entire state rather than waiting for one councils to act.

“If we have to wait one council at a time it will take 20 years,” he said.

Mr Hunt said cat containment would require a staged introduction, which took into account the stress of suddenly changing the environment of some older cats.

But he said change was important for the welfare of cats and the environment.

“Obviously cat welfare is what we’re all about. But we have the triple bottom line of: people, planet and pussy cats.”

The final bill will be tabled in parliament after submissions are considered.

For more information on, the Draft Bill and Tasmanian Cat Management Plan, including how to make a submission, go to https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/invasive-species/cat-management-in-tasmania/cat-management-amendment-bill