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Former WA chief scientist Peter Klinken said he didn’t realise how devastating feral cats could be on native wildlife until he saw it with his own eyes.
Klinken, who stepped down from his scientific role one year ago, said he recently spent several months driving and camping in remote localities, where he witnessed wild cats carrying off their prey.
“When you see a feral cat with a quenda in its mouth, it becomes very, very real and distressing. We drove all over the country and witnessed similar scenes, which was quite surprising to be perfectly honest.”
Klinken has just taken on the role of chair of the WA Feral Cat Working Group, which seeks to contain domestic cats safely in their homes and eradicate the large numbers of feral cats roaming the bush.
The numbers are shocking – the group claims that every week, one million animals are killed by roaming cats across greater Perth, while 200 pet cats are killed in roaming related incidents.
Klinken said overwhelming evidence demonstrated the urgency to get a Cat Act amendment bill passed into law before more animals died.
The amendment, tabled in WA’s lower house on February 25, has inexplicably stalled in its progress, he said.
If passed, the Cat Amendment (Local Laws) Bill would empower local governments across WA to design and enforce their own cat containment laws.
By allowing individual councils to manage roaming cats, the amendment aims “to protect native wildlife, reduce pet injuries and decrease community nuisances”.
Local councils could choose a range of containment measures, from restricting cats to their owners’ premises at all times, to curfew hours where cats must be kept indoors or in secure enclosures. Another remedy could be prohibited areas where cats are banned from sensitive public spaces and native bushlands.
“Almost 80 per cent of councils are very keen to proceed with cat containment,” Klinken said.
“We have made some inroads, and there are some councils that have made very valiant attempts to encourage residents to help solve this problem.”
Klinken said he had sent a letter last week to Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley informing her of his new chair role, and encouraging her to hasten the amendment’s progress through parliament.
“I know that governments have to prioritise things, but this is of significant importance for the state so we would like to draw it to their attention,” he said.
Last July, the working group published a survey of greater Perth local government areas showing only three out of 26 councils had been successful in bringing in “permanent containment” laws that would compel cat owners to keep their pets at home, on a leash or in a cat enclosure.
Seven councils had tried more than once but their efforts were disallowed by a government committee that viewed the local laws as in conflict with the state’s current Cat Act.
Klinken said passing the amendment to the Act would clear the path for local governments to implement their own locally appropriate containment laws.
“It’s also a win-win in the sense that our biodiversity surely is a selling point for our state. Our emblem is the numbat, many of which have been taken by feral animals, including cats.”
In their responses to the working group survey, several councils reported that they suffered from poor levels of responsible pet ownership, with 42 per cent reporting a low level of awareness among residents and low compliance with laws.
Only 13.6 per cent of respondents had a high level of cat registrations and microchipping, and only 16.5 per cent reported a high level of desexing.
Greens MP Brad Pettitt said a straightforward attempt to improve the welfare of pet cats, wildlife and human health is being held up by legislative inaction.
“It is good, meaningful legislation that has demonstrable community support. The longer we delay the passing of the amendment bill, the more domestic cats are going to be killed as well as native animals.”
City of Vincent Mayor Alison Xamon said residents were routinely contacting her about cat predation and fears about pet cats dying on roads.
“We also have a colony of quendas along the river and inner-city bird habitat that requires protection,” she said.
“The solution is a very simple one – amend the Cat Act so that local councils can get on and introduce their own cat containment policies.”
Victoria Laurie is a senior reporter and feature writer who has written for Good Weekend, The Australian, The Bulletin, The Monthly, HQ, Australian Geographic and The Weekend Australian Magazine.From our partners
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