New cat guidelines are now in location in the City of Whittlesea to help safeguard cats, the neighborhood and wildlife.
Since August 1, all cats are to be restricted to their owner’s property or under efficient control when outside, and newly-registered cats will require to be desexed.
The brand-new guidelines suggest that cat owners must keep their cats included to their property or under control while outside their property.
Chair administrator Lydia Wilson said unconfined cats might be a problem for the neighborhood and wildlife.
“Last year council received more than 1000 complaints relating to cats. During consultation with the community, we heard from approximately 1800 people, with more than 80 per cent supporting some form of cat confinement,” she said.
“We understand that cat confinement will not provide an immediate solution to cat nuisance issues, however it will make it easier for both residents and council to address issues more swiftly.”
Ms Wilson said over the previous 12 months, council has actually dealt with transitioning the neighborhood to the brand-new cat guidelines through establishing videos, hosting workshops and pop-up stalls, and getting in touch with all cat owners to help them get ready for the modifications.
“We have seen a tremendous amount of community engagement for all our activities,” she said.
“Our instructional videos have been viewed over 3000 times, and we had the pleasure of hosting nearly 100 people at our six in-person DIY workshops.
“Furthermore, we had meaningful conversations with over 1000 residents at 18 pop-up events in shopping centres. It’s clear that our community is eager to learn more and take proactive steps in keeping cats confined.”
City of Whittlesea will continue to support cat owners with details and resources to guarantee citizens have the ability to adhere to brand-new guidelines.
Education will be council’s concern and fines will just be released as a last hope.
For more details, go to www.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/cats.
