Murray Bridge council surveys community about feral cats
The Rural City of Murray Bridge is inviting the community to participate in a survey on the future of cat management in the district.
The Rural City of Murray Bridge is asking the local community about their experiences with cats, as well as their expectations around responsible cat ownership, in a new survey.
The survey is the result of a council meeting in June that highlighted the need to consult the community before taking action to address the city's feral cat problem.
More than 400 feral cats were believed to be living in Murray Bridge in August, a number likely to triple over the spring breeding season.
The survey asks where feral cats live and how frequently residents experience issues with them.
Locals are asked to rank the responsibilities of cat owners in order of importance, and to put forward any suggestions they have so the council can better manage feral cats humanely in the future.
Cat owners are asked additional questions in the survey, including whether their cats are microchipped and desexed, how they manage their cats and what challenges they may face in keeping their cats contained.
The responses the community put forward will allow the council to highlight the parts of Murray Bridge that have a high percentage of feral cats and take the appropriate action to resolve the issue.
“Cats are much-loved members of many of our families and households, but we also know roaming, stray and feral cats can create concerns for residents and our local environment,” Mayor Wayne Thorley said.
“We want to hear about people's experiences and what they believe responsible cat ownership looks like and what approaches they think council should consider.
“Importantly, council has not made a decision to introduce cat confinement or a cats by-law, so this consultation is about listening to our community before decisions about future cat management are made.”
- Complete the survey: Visit murraybridge.engagementhub.com.au/future-cat-management-framework or fill in a hard copy at the Murray Bridge council office, Murray Bridge Library or Murraylands Skills Centre before 5pm on October 21.
- Read more: Cat restrictions on the table as Murray Bridge council takes matters into its own paws
