Cat restrictions on the table as Murray Bridge council takes matters into its own paws
Another round of consultation is on the way as the council makes up for a long-standing failure by the state government.
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Cat owners may face new restrictions in the next 2-3 years as the Murray Bridge council prepares to address the district’s feral cat problem.
Cat curfews and a limit on the number of cats per household are among the measures that will be considered after councillors voted on Tuesday night to start working towards a local solution.
The first step in that process will be consulting the community about people’s willingness to support the new restrictions in the interests of animal welfare, including the welfare of both stray cats and the native animals they prey upon.
It will be the second time in five years the council has taken the issue to the community.
More than 800 people signed a 2024 petition calling on the council to be more active in cat control, too.
But it was important to make sure residents would be okay with any new restrictions, Councillor Tom Haig argued on Tuesday night.
“There are, within our community, lots of people who love their cats who would be outraged if they thought that (we were) doing away with their lovely pet cat that they look after and desex and register,” he said.
“Nothing could be further from the truth – that’s not the intention of the council.
“But we have to do something.”
Cr Airlie Keen argued that the $10,000 cost of a consultation would be better spent subsidising desexing and microchipping services.
But ultimately she and the other councillors voted 7-1 in favour of seeking public feedback during the next 12 months.
Council is only stepping in because state government has failed to act
The council had waited more than 10 years for the state government and its Dog and Cat Management Board to set consistent, state-wide rules about cat control.
But when a 2024 review of the Dog and Cat Management Act finally arrived, it focused almost exclusively on dogs.
It would still be better if the state government implemented uniform rules across SA, “rather than each individual council having a hodgepodge of different rules”, Cr Keen said on Tuesday.
But in the meantime, Murray Bridge’s councillors couldn’t hold their breath any longer.
The council only received 5-10 complaints about cats per year, staff advised, but that was unlikely to reflect the level of concern in the community.
The number of registered cats in the district – 1142 – was not likely close to the real figure, either.
More than half of South Australia’s councils had a cap on the number of cats able to be kept in a household.
Thirty-three required cats to be registered, but only 11 had rules about confining cats to their properties.
Before introducing new restrictions, staff advised, the council should arrange access to a pound and rehoming facility; assess local vets’ capacity to help; and properly resource the program with a part-time staff member.
What is being proposed?
The council has not yet decided what kind of restrictions it may put in place to solve the stray cat problem.
But the model it will take to the community suggests:
- Acat capof two per household
- Apermit systemfor any additional cats, and fines for rule breaches
- A bylaw prohibiting “nuisance behaviour” by cats
Residents will also be asked whether they would support a cat curfew – perhaps only in a certain area, such as Murray Bridge’s CBD or suburbs, or at certain times, such as overnight.
They will also be asked more generally about what they think about roaming cats and what solutions they would prefer.
Cr Karen Eckermann wasn’t convinced that a 24-hour curfew was a good idea, as many cat owners believed it was cruel and unnecessary.
Councillors previously voted against a curfew in 2020.
But a two-cat-per-household cap would be “sensible”, Cr Eckermann said, and extra funding for desexing services would be welcome.
Any rule changes would just need to be advertised widely, so community members could be made aware.
The proposed consultation will take place at some point between now and June 30 of next year.
- Read more: Council must act on cats, petitioners say
- Read more: Lack of action on stray cats is “embarrassing”, councillor says
