Western Australia has finally acted to save wildlife from the devastating toll of roaming pet cats, confirming it will amend the Cat Act to give councils the power to enforce cat containment.
The reform drags WA into line with the rest of the country – leaving New South Wales dead last, still refusing to act, while over 300 million native animals are killed every year.
‘This is a landmark win for wildlife and for responsible pet ownership in Western Australia. We commend the Cook Government for showing leadership and finally committing to give councils the tools they’ve been crying out for to keep pet cats and native animals safe,’ Invasive Species Council Engagement Director, Imogen Ebsworth said.
‘The quicker this change to the law is passed, the more wildlife will be saved from roaming pet cats. It is only a very minor amendment that is needed and so we encourage the government to step up this year and not wait until 2026.
‘Even one roaming cat can have devastating impacts, as local residents in Mandurah in WA found when a single roaming cat killed 6 adults, 40 chicks, and drove off an entire colony of 220 nesting threatened fairy terns in just a few weeks.
‘With WA now stepping up, NSW has been left dead last – the only state yet to act – and millions of native animals are paying the price for this.
‘Every year, roaming pet cats kill more than 300 million native animals across Australia – wiping out birds, reptiles, frogs and small mammals. Cats are extraordinary hunters, and while we can’t change their nature, we can change the culture that allows them to roam free and devastate our suburbs.
‘Keeping cats safely at home, all day every day, is the best thing cat owners can do to protect their beloved pets, as well as our wildlife and community.
‘This reform will allow WA councils to protect threatened wildlife like numbats, skinks and terns – and at the same time protect cats from road accidents, disease and shortened lifespans. According to the RSPCA, pet cats live up to 10 years longer if kept safely at home.
‘With WA joining every other jurisdiction in empowering councils to act, NSW is now completely out of step. It’s time for Premier Minns to step up and give communities the power to keep cats and wildlife safe.
‘The people of NSW want this – independent surveys show 65% support keeping cats contained, with only 9% are opposed. The Liberals, Nationals, Greens and Independents are backing this overdue reform. If Premier Minns steps up, he’ll be surprised by the overwhelming community and political support he receives.’
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Background:
- Cats make wonderful pets, bringing joy and wellbeing benefits to their owners. There are 5.3 million pet cats in Australia with cats found in more than 30% of Australian households. There is increasing evidence-based agreement on the key components of responsible pet cat ownership: desexing, registration and microchipping, and permanent containment. However, there is inconsistent enabling policy and enforcement across the country, particularly at the local government level where these issues are managed.
- Preventing cats from roaming remains a significant challenge in Western Australia. In 2019, the WA Government’s own review showed that 73% of respondents supported laws to prevent cats from roaming. In the time since, community sentiment, largely due to improving awareness, has swung even further in support of containing pet cats.
- In 2024 the Hon. Hannah Beazley, Minister for Local Government, asked the WA Feral Cat Working Group to establish an understanding of how local governments are progressing best practice ownership of pet cats.
- The Working Group undertook a survey of all 139 local governments, with an unprecedented 74% engaging with the survey. The findings, reveal that it is time for Western Australians to rethink what it means to be a responsible pet cat owner. Change is well overdue for Western Australia to enable and encourage local cat laws that enable permanent containment for pet cats.
- Collectively, roaming pet cats kill 546 million animals per year in Australia – 323 million of these are native.
- In the Greater Sydney area, there are approximately 1 million pet cats and roaming pet cats kill approximately 66 million native animals every years.
- Around 70% of cat owners in Australia allow their cats to roam, and 78% of these roaming cats hunt.
- 85% of the animals killed by pet cats are not brought home.
- On average, each roaming, hunting pet cat kills more than three animals every week – for a total of 186 animals per year. This number includes 110 native animals (40 reptiles, 38 birds and 32 mammals).
- Hunting pet cats kill 30-50 times more native animals per square kilometre in suburbs than feral cats kill per square kilometre in the bush. This is because pet ownership allows inflated density: While feral cats kill 4x more animals per year, there are between 54 and 100 roaming and hunting cats per square kilometre in suburbs compared to only one feral cat for every 3-4 square kilometres in the bush.
- Pet cats kill 6,000 to 11,000 native animals per square kilometre each year in urban areas.
- When cats prowl and hunt in an area, wildlife have to spend more time hiding or escaping. This reduces the time spent feeding themselves or their young, or resting.
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