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State Government considers cat laws
The WA State Government begins to consider state-wide control legislation for cats. Local Government Minister John Castrilli told media he was considering laws that would force cat owners to take "responsibility" for their pets. Local cat groups the Cat Haven and the RSPCA WA supported the initiative. Article:WA Today -
Cat Haven backs new cat laws
Perth's Cat Haven has welcomed proposed new laws making feline sterilisation compulsory. Haven operations manager Roz Robinson said the initiative would lead to a significant reduction in the number of unwanted cats being dumped and put down. Cat Haven backs sterilisation laws -
New cat laws to force desexing
No official data exists on WA cat ownership but national estimates show 23 per cent of households have a cat, making the figure about 184,000 WA homes.... The Local Government Act allows WA's 139 local councils to introduce cat control regulations, but Mr Francis said only 13 had done so. Yahoo.com -
Cat Haven offers few options for cats
“As we can only provide a shelter for 120 cats at a time and only arrange fostering for a few, there is nowhere for the surplus to go, so you can imagine the shocking euthanasia figures. Some days our vets were having to euthanise close to 100 cats and kittens. Hundreds of unwanted kittens were put down during the last Christmas breeding season. Cat Haven prepares for influx of unwanted kittens -
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RSPCA backs cat law
The RSPCA had been advocating cat legislation for many years. “We are delighted that the government is now moving forward with development of this legislation” a spokesperson said. “The flow-on effects will hopefully be a reduction in the number of stray or unwanted cats and also recovery of lost cats through microchipping and registration.” (https://www.dropbox.com/s/9ujdom107nww53q/RSPCA%20backs%20cat%20law%20-%202010.pdf?dl=0) -
High cost of new cat law
The City of Joondalup estimates it would cost $393,200 to administer the State Government's proposed cat control legislation, leaving the City more than $100,000 a year out of pocket. ... the State Government had modelled much of its proposal on the City's cats local law, which it passed last year but was disallowed by a parliamentary committee. Joondalup Weekender -
Murray Shire Council supports cat laws
Cats without identification will be seized and impounded. Local governments will be required to administer and enforce the legislation. The state cost of the new measures is expected to be nearly $480,000, offset by an expected income of $22,000 from registrations, infringements and pound fees. Mandurah Mail -
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93% of owned cats already desexed
“Ninety-three percent of domestic cats are already sterilised, so you have to wonder what the Barnett Government are trying to do other than give local governments the ability to raise revenue through cat registration,” Shadow Local Government Minister Paul Papalia said. WA Govt mauled over new cat laws -
Council to have more power than Police
WA cat owners could have their homes searched and their pets seized if they're found not to be sterilised, microchipped and registered under proposed laws.
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Once inside a cat owner's residence, council workers could seize documents, film, photograph and audio record the owner, demand that they answer questions and take any other measure they deem 'reasonable'. Poorly drafted cat laws give council workers more power than Police -
Cat Haven ~ laws will raise abandonment
Cat Haven spokeswoman Allison Hastings said the laws might trigger more cats to be abandoned but only in the short term. Cat owner register to 'cut back ferals' -
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Cat Haven full before Christmas
... the shelter was already operating at capacity and which meant that 85% of the cats they received this Christmas would have to be euthanised. "We have now reached capacity and have no more room to accommodate the sheer volume of animals being brought to us," Cat Haven general manager Roz Robinson said. Cat Haven full before Christmas: hundreds of kittens face euthanasia -
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Shire President slams "virtually unenforceable" laws
The belief that $3m will adequately compensate all local governments is ill-thought-out and showed how out of touch the Government and the Minister is with demands on local council." Dr Moore's practice regularly takes in stray cats and kittens with 37 currently looking for homes at the vet's premises this week. Cat laws: Claw bared -
Gov announces $3.2million in cat act grants
The State Government today announced $3.2 million dollars worth of funding for the implementation of the new cat laws, to help local governments and animal welfare organisations put the law into practice. Cat Haven Roz Robinson and Local Government Minister John Castrilli make the announcement. -
Rangers will use "common sense"
Rangers will use common sense in seizing domestic felines that have been deemed to have committed an offence under Western Australia's new cat laws, Local Government Minister John Castrilli says.... cat pounds would be established in four zones in the metropolitan area, while there would be two in regional areas around Mandurah and Bunbury, he said. Money has been set aside for cat pounds in other regional areas, Mr Castrilli said. Sydney Morning Herald -
The RSPCA WA champions the new laws
"The Cat Control Legislation, which comes into full effect next year, is a step in the right direction in promoting responsible cat ownership, and RSPCA WA was pleased to see Minister Castrilli adopt nearly all of our recommendations." President’s Foreword
Lynne Bradshaw, RSPCA National and State President
RSPCA WA Annual Report 2011–12 -
Handouts to help police new cat laws
A total of $3 million is up for grabs for councils to fund cat pounds and meet various costs associated with policing the Cat Act. The Town of Kwinana Mayor Carol Adams said while the Town was looking to expand its own pound, it would also apply for funding to establish a regional cat pound, buy microchip scanners and introduce cat sterilisation subsidy program for pensioners. Weekend Courier -
8111 cats impounded at the Cat Haven
Both the RSPCA and Cat Haven are pleased with the new cat laws overall. Cat Haven spokesperson David Settelmaier said that sterilisation will stop unwanted cats being bred and dumped, reducing the number of cats that need to be euthanised. “Last year Cat Haven received 8111 cats and kittens, just over half had to be euthanised,” Mr Settelmaier said. Animal organisations campaign for stronger cat laws -
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Cat Act 2011 (phase one, inactive) begins
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$300,000 grant to Cat Haven
Cat Haven welcomed today’s funding announcement by Premier Colin Barnett and the Minister for Local Government, John Castrilli. The State Government pledged $75,000 a year (for the next four years) to support Cat Haven’s work. Animal shelters and rescuers get $200k a year -
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Sterilise cats or face fine, owners told
Cat owners face fines of up to $5000 and their cats being put down if they do not comply with strict new laws coming into force next month. Cat Haven general manager Roz Robinson said while she expected to initially see a peak in the number of cats being brought to the facility as some cat owners decided to not take on the extra responsibility, the numbers would likely drop significantly in the long run. Sterilise cats or face fine, owners told -
South Perth $256k cat pound grant
The City received a funding allocation of $256,000 from the State Government to upgrade the current dog pound in Como to a cat-inclusive pound. City of South Perth website -
Cat owners "panic" at costs, dump pets
She said some people just could not afford the cost of compulsory sterilisation, micro-chipping and registration, and local government subsidies weren’t enough. "People have started to panic and other rescue places are already bursting at the seams." Cat dumping rising -
RSPCA & Cat Haven closed to strays
From the 1st of November the RSPCA and Cat Haven closed their doors to lost and stray cats. Councils were able to negotiate an impound agreement with these facilities, for a fee. Closed from today -
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Cat Act (phase two, active) begins
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Kalamunda Shire invests in cat laws
Shire chief executive Rhonda Hardy said the council had spent more than $24,000 to develop a cat management facility, as well as make necessary upgrades to records keeping software to enable the processing of cat registrations. Kalamunda Shire all set as new cat laws kick in -
Laws could encourage cruelty: vet
"... (the laws) could rationalise hatred against cats. It opens up avenues for malicious action when a poor old cat might be just wandering past his neighbour’s garden. We have a cat in recovery right now who I suspect has been kicked in the face, which is sadly not uncommon. It may give those kinds of people the justification they want that cats are destructive and should be (harmed)." ~ Subiaco veterinarian, Greg Wilkinson Western Suburbs Weekly -
RSPCA WA ~ "We have no more room"
The RSPCA cannot take any more cats from people who no longer want them... Malaga Local News -
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Cat Haven ~ Success! 25% drop in impounds
"We're now starting to regulate the cats within our communities, and we've seen a big impact on the amount of unwanted cats," Minister for Local Government Tony Simpson said. The number of strays taken in by the Cat Haven has dropped 25 per cent since the Cat Act was introduced last November. They received 6,229 cats last year - 2,259 fewer than the year before. Stray cats in WA to stay in air-conditioned 'cat condos' -
WA’s cat count set to decrease
Perth will likely see a noticeable reduction in the number of cats within the next 18 months as a result of cat laws introduced six months ago... Cat Alliance of Australia President Christine Yurovich said a reduction in the number of cats should be noticeable within the next 18 months. “It’ll take about four breeding seasons.” WA News -
Bunbury rescue groups inundated with cats
The introduction of new cat laws has seen Bunbury rescue groups inundated with unwanted pets in recent months.
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“The number of unwanted cats has doubled from the previous year and tripled for unwanted kittens,” (The South West Animal Rescue group president) Tanya Adams said. The Bunbury Mail -
"Global warming" causes kitten surge
CAT Haven spokeswoman Chandra Woodley said a litter of kittens was born at the shelter just two weeks ago, a very rare occurrence because the breeding season usually ends in April. Warm weather causes WA kitten cat-astrophe -
Cat Haven - "Too early" to evaluate impact.
Cat Haven General Manager Roz Robinson says while it is too early to evaluate the impact of WA’s new law, there are positive signs, including feedback from councils on larger than expected cat registration numbers. “We believe it will take three to five years for the true effects of the laws to become evident,” Ms Robinson says.
Time needed to confirm impact -
Shelters flooded with unwanted cats
Cat Haven desperate for new owners -
Cat Haven in overcrowding crisis
Perth’s Cat Haven is in crisis after being overcrowded with unwanted and stray felines. The charity has more than 320 cats on site and another 550 in foster care that will soon return to the shelter...“We are asking people to postpone surrendering their cat as we just don’t have room.” News.com.au & The Australian -
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The RSPCA's $400,000 cat pound
... a new cat rehoming centre that will see up to 2,000 kittens and cats find refuge at the centre each year. RSPCA Announcement Cat Happy Place -
"Late kitten season" record impoundments
A late end to the kitten season has left the Cat Haven in Perth's western suburbs full to the brim with hundreds of cats needing a new home. "It is normal for us to be full a couple of months ago, but what has happened is the kitten season has run a little bit later," (a spokesperson) said. Late kitten season leaves Perth Cat Haven shelter bursting at seams -
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Cat owners ignoring new law
PET owners are abandoning their cats instead of forking out on pound and registration fees, according to an animal rescue worker. "Sadly, people aren't bothering to register cats and don't want to pay the money to get their cat back," she said. Cat owners ignoring new law -
Geraldton Council using cat laws to trap cats
... Rangers are utilising cat laws that were introduced in 2011 to collaborate with trapper Darren Darch. "We use Darren and his expertise as a trapper … we use legislation and get him a certificate so that he can trap the cats and hopefully alleviate the issue." One area of focus has been the local tip site, where Mr Darch has removed about 40 cats.
Trapping Strays, ABC News -
Half of all stray cats end up dead.
Half of all stray cats caught by WA councils end up dead. SAFE Perth president Sue Campbell said some Shire rangers still shot cats rather than taking them to vets for a lethal injection. 'It is not getting any better': 50 cats a week put down in WA -
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Record number of cat adoptions for WA shelter
WA's Cat Haven re-homed a record number of cats last year. "It was a tough year with a steady flow of over 6,500 cats coming in and because we are keeping more cats alive than ever before, we have been very low on funds," Chandra Woodley from Cat Haven said. ABC News -
Cat Haven reaches 'breaking point'
The Cat Haven is.... describing their organisation at a 'tipping point'. Marketing officer Chandra Woodley said the shelter was struggling to cope with the influx of hundreds of unwanted felines... The shelter is currently caring for over 320 cats and another 500 in foster care are due to return in coming weeks. It costs over $8000 a day to run the Cat Haven at full capacity. The Cat Haven issues public plea as resources reach 'breaking point' -
New cat pound increases RSPCA cat intakes
[VIDEO]RSPCA WA ~ we built a new cat pound, thanks to this we have seen an increase in cat intakes. Unwanted cats... have swamped the RSPCA, with the number in desperate need of homes soaring in the past 12 months. The number of cats handed over has increased from 137 to 220 and kittens from 145 to 178. “We opened a new cattery at the end of 2015, which has given us the ability to manage more cats,” an RSPCA WA spokesperson said. -
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Councils kill up to 80% of cats
The City of Belmont put down 63 of the 76 cats it impounded. IMPOUNDING CAT BEST
1. City of South Perth – 41
2. City of Belmont – 76
3. City of Rockingham 80 IMPOUNDED CAT WORST
1. City of Swan – 555
2. City of Mandurah – 269
3. City of Wanneroo – 211 EUTHANISED CAT WORST
1. City of Belmont 83%
2. City of Swan 55%
3. City of South Perth 46% Community News -
8500 cats impounded at Cat Haven last year
Cat Haven in Shenton Park says it rescued 1865 more cats last year than in the previous seven years combined. Cat Haven representative Chandra Woodley said much of the increase was due to “owner surrenders”, with 1000 more cats handed in than came from metropolitan council rangers. Seven year record for Cat Haven -
Record cat influx puts strain on haven
Most of the intake were abandoned stray cats — 3852 — but the haven also took in close to 1000 cats from regional rescue groups. The Shenton Park cat adoption centre took in 8436 cats last year (2017) — a seven-year high and 1865 more than 2016. Record cat influx puts strain on haven -
Kalgoorlie-Boulder RSPCA sees spike of cats
Carers at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder RSPCA have recorded a spike in the number of cats and kittens coming in to the shelter putting increased pressure on carers and resources. RSPCA WA general inspector Fiona Brown said animals came in all year round but this year had seen increased numbers of cats and kittens brought into the Animal Management Facility.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder RSPCA experiencing spike of cats -
