If you own a cat it is your job to give it a proper home by providing shelter, food, control and care. If owners confined their cats inside at night, a lot of the problems and complaints Council receives about cats would end.
If your cat is roaming outside your property you must accept responsibility for it. The main reason cat control has been brought in is to stop cats straying and becoming feral. Feral cats cannot be effectively managed, and their uncontrolled breeding and wildlife attacks threaten the environment.
All pet owners are encouraged to desex their animals. It will reduce the cost of registration as well as the risk of unwanted breeding.
You need to be aware that Council sometimes conducts cat-trapping campaigns in bushland areas where feral cats threaten the native wildlife. Your cat should be microchipped and wear a collar so it can be easily returned to you rather than mistaken for a feral cat.
A lot of native animals feed from dusk til dawn. If you keep your cat inside during these times the risk of attack is greatly reduced.
Of course, it isn’t the cats that are well cared for and controlled that cause the greatest problems. It is stray and feral cats that Council is targeting to control. But residents can help by keeping their cats away from strays and feral cats to help stop unwanted breeding and prevent the spread of disease.
Never feed stray cats unless you intend to care for it as a pet. Stray cats form a direct link between domestic and feral cats.