Managing Cat Populations in NSW

The NSW Legislative Council’s Animal Welfare Committee has commenced an inquiry into the Management of Cat Populations, and your input is needed! This is an opportunity to share your views on how roaming cats impact the environment, local biodiversity, and your community.

The Inquiry terms of reference include examination of the effectiveness of cat containment policies and large scale cat desexing programs, the impact of potential cat containment measures on the pound system, and implications of councils in implementing and enforcing cat containment policies.

The Inquiry will also look at the impact of cats on threatened native animals and options for reducing the feral cat population.

Submissions are open until 22nd November 2024, and anyone can participate, whether as an individual or on behalf of an organisation, workplace, or community group.

In your submission, feel free to share your personal observations about roaming cats. How have they affected your environment? Why do you think legislation, along with education campaigns, is necessary to manage this issue?

If you have relevant experience as a wildlife carer, landholder, birdwatcher, or even from a medical or invasive species control background, be sure to highlight it. Your expertise can provide valuable insight.

Keep your submission concise and clear to ensure your message gets across. To have your say, visit the submission form.

Let’s make sure our voices are heard on this important issue for NSW!

Impact of Cats

Cats were introduced to Australia by European settlers in 1788, and since then, feral cat populations have rapidly spread across 99.9% of the Australian mainland, Tasmania, and larger islands.

According to the Threatened Species Recovery Hub (2021), each roaming pet cat in Australia is estimated to kill 115 native animals annually. Collectively, Australia’s pet cats are responsible for the deaths of approximately 80 million birds, 67 million mammals, 83 million reptiles, at least one million frogs, and countless invertebrates each year. This amounts to around 230 million native animals lost annually to roaming and feral cats.

Beyond the devastating impact on wildlife, these cats also pose significant health risks to humans. Diseases such as cat scratch disease, toxocariasis, and toxoplasmosis—spread by cats—cost the Australian economy $6 billion a year in medical expenses, lost income, and other direct costs.

NSW currently has no legislation which prevents people allowing their cats to freely roam.

The Inquiry is an opportunity to push for best practice cat management including:

• Legislative change and support to enable local Councils to enforce mandatory desexing and cat containment – specifically the Companion Animals Act  
• 24hr/7day cat containment inside the home or within a cat run or ‘catio’
• Mandatory desexing, microchip and registration

Responsible Pet Ownership

Pet cat ownership has physical and mental health benefits for their owners. As individuals, we can lessen our environmental impact by practicing responsible cat management, including:

• Get your cat desexed
• Have regular vet check-ups
• Keep your cat indoors or fully contained at all times (Catio)
• Dispose of cat litter hygienically
• Have your cat microchipped
• Register your cat and comply with local government regulations.