Free to roam - Councils are too poor to manage roaming cats that kill 96 million native animals each year in New South Wales
"Animal rescuers across New South Wales say they're struggling to cope with a surge in surrendered cats, warning legislative gaps are fuelling a growing stray "crisis"."
"Under the Companion Animals Act in NSW, cats can only be seized if found in a dedicated food preparation or wildlife protection area, otherwise they are free to roam. "This 'free to roam' is perpetuating a constant breeding cycle that all of us rescuers are overwhelmed with."..."Until cats are treated the same as dogs and have to be desexed and contained, this is just going to get worse and worse." "
"On average the Invasive Species Council estimates each roaming pet cat kills 186 animals per year...We need council and the government to step up."
"In September the NSW Greens introduced a bill proposing to introduce cat containment laws, which would require pet owners to keep their cats inside. The state government is expected to finalise its review within the coming
... show moreFree to roam - Councils are too poor to manage roaming cats that kill 96 million native animals each year in New South Wales
"Animal rescuers across New South Wales say they're struggling to cope with a surge in surrendered cats, warning legislative gaps are fuelling a growing stray "crisis"."
"Under the Companion Animals Act in NSW, cats can only be seized if found in a dedicated food preparation or wildlife protection area, otherwise they are free to roam. "This 'free to roam' is perpetuating a constant breeding cycle that all of us rescuers are overwhelmed with."..."Until cats are treated the same as dogs and have to be desexed and contained, this is just going to get worse and worse." "
"On average the Invasive Species Council estimates each roaming pet cat kills 186 animals per year...We need council and the government to step up."
"In September the NSW Greens introduced a bill proposing to introduce cat containment laws, which would require pet owners to keep their cats inside. The state government is expected to finalise its review within the coming months."
"We would encourage people to keep their cats inside all the time, especially at night." >>
abc.net.au/news/2026-05-18/str…
"Cats kill approximately 96 million native animals each year in New South Wales, including millions of mammals, birds, and reptiles." >>
invasives.org.au/wp-content/up…
#cats #pets #dogs #ContainmentFailures #biodiversity #wildlife #mobility #NSW #law #values #councils #Bellingen #Gleniffer #BellingenShire
