Can we have a Community Cat Curfew?

There is mounting evidence of research about the impact of cats upon local wildlife, not just ferals, but roaming domestic pests. In our community, where we still have wildlife, cats as well as foxes are an extreme threat to the survival of the local populations of native animals including squirrel gliders, birds, lizards and recently discovered Feather-tailed gliders.

The Invasive Species Council is conducting a “Cats in Australia” campaign recognising that Australia has a cat problem. After being introduced in 1788, feral cats now number between 2.1 – 6.3 million depending on rainfall conditions, and there are another 3.8 million pet cats in our neighbourhoods.

Together, they kill over 2 billion animals every single year. Most of those are native. And no matter how much we adore them, we can’t escape the fact that our pet cats that are allowed to roam are responsible for over 500 million of those deaths.”

Our local wildlife carer is continually confronted by the impact of feline ferocity: “earlier this week I got a call, to ask if I cared for gliders... the cat brought it in, he thought it was a sugar glider, but it is actually a feathertail... this is the first one I've known to be found around here. I hate to think how many animals that cat is still killing. The glider is with an NATF carer and is apparently OK. It’s a female sub-adult weighing 8gm (adults are 12gm), and is buddied up with some others.“

The Invasive Species Council offers this advice to cat owners.

“Many of us believe our pet cats never kill animals because they are only get let out at certain times or are too passive, lazy or slow to catch anything.

But even if your pet cat hasn’t brought native wildlife home, any cat allowed free-roaming time is almost certainly killing native wildlife. Research using tracking collars and scat analysis has established that the vast majority of animals killed by pet cats are not brought home. We also know 4 in 10 pet cats that are brought in at night sneak back out again to roam and hunt.

There are many things that responsible cat owners can do to help keep our wildlife safe and our pets happy, but the most important one is to keep your cat securely contained at home or on a leash at all times just like a pet dog. This will keep them safe from injury and disease and protect native wildlife in your local neighbourhood.”

Our wildlife will never be safe until we all do something about it. Can we start by containing our cats?