No more cats in the hood!! Australia introduces a cat curfew to protect animals. A council in Freemantle, Western Australia, has voted in favor of banning domestic cats from being outdoors unless they are on a lead.
The new Cat Management Local Law banned cats from all public areas such as roads, verges, and bushlands.
Why Australian council bans cats from wandering outdoor?
The basis for these changes according to Councillor Adin Lang, who tabled the proposals is to protect wildlife and remove the risk of cats being hit by cars or attacked by wild cats.
Lang said “In the 1970s, dogs would roam our streets and I expect roaming cats will also become a thing of the past.” He added: “This is about protecting our wildlife and it’s also about helping to keep people’s cats safe from catfights or getting hit by cars.”
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The motion will impact the 750 registered cats in the city. Many areas in Freemantle that include parks, beaches, and golf courses forbid entering cats. If the owners refused to comply, they are liable to be fined around £100.
Mr. Lang emphasized that the situation required more stringent measures because the pets are still roaming and entering.
“There are two good reasons to keep your cat at home,” Tom Hatton, chairman of the WA Feral Cat Working Group said. Protecting urban wildlife and prolonging the good health and life of cats.
He also said: “Urban cats kill 30 times more wildlife than adult cats out in the bush. “A domestic cat that is kept at home lives on average 13 years, a domestic cat that is allowed to roam lives on average only three years because of misadventure, cars, fights, and disease.”
Since 1788, those fur animals kill two billion native animals every year and smash more than a dozen species.