New Wa Cat Laws

[OSoSwift]

WA cat owners would be forced to sterilise, micro-chip and register their pets within the first few months of their lives under long-awaited WA laws proposed in a discussion paper to be released today.

Local Government Minister John Castrilli was yesterday tight-lipped about the paper but said last week the laws were likely to include compulsory identification through micro-chipping, registration and sterilisation.

"The proposed legislation will be aimed at reducing the large proportion of stray cats throughout Western Australia," he said. A committee set up to draft the laws looked at forcing cat owners to comply with the regulations by the time their pets were six months old but the Cat Haven has lobbied for three months and the RSPCA supports de-sexing from two months.

It is understood the laws will not be retrospective, meaning by natural attrition it could be up to 10 years before WA has a completely regulated domestic cat population.

The Cat Haven, RSPCA and WA Local Government Association, which have all been campaigning for years for Statewide cat laws, yesterday welcomed the next step.

Cat Haven operations manager Roz Robinson said she hoped to see laws soon to stop thousands of cats and kittens being euthanised, better identify lost animals and reduce problems caused by unsterilised cats.

Ms Robinson estimated 14,000 cats and kittens were euthanised in WA each year.

"I think every State government has ignored the problem and swept it under the carpet, hoping it would go away," she said.

It is estimated about 200,000 WA homes have cats, with millions more cats roaming feral.

An RSPCA spokesman said while some local councils had enacted local laws for cat control, which typically related to the number of cats per household, none included a requirement for compulsory sterilisation.

Shadow local government minister Paul Papalia supported the concept of Statewide cat laws but said it was essential and fair that any extra costs to local councils because of the legislation was met by the Government.

With sterilisation costing up to $200, micro-chipping about $50 and registration at most councils for sterilised dogs $10 a year, Mr Papalia said the Government should consider subsidies for low-income earners.

I think we definately need to do something about cats over here, there are heaps and heaps of them.

I do wonder though will we in the future only be able to buy from rego'd breeders - knowing of course there will always be some people who won't abide by the law. I wonder if this is a sign of things to come with dogs??

I am very glad that at last there will be legislation to deal with cats as so far there has been non. I really hope this makes people think before they get a kitten, and I hope it reduces the numbers that are roaming, feral and breeding at a disturbing rate.

[Christina]

While this would go a long way to solving a big part of the problems I can't see anything in there that excludes breeding cats ?

So as it is, it means basically the end of all cats as pets in the long term.

There will only be feral cats left that have escaped ownership & bred in the wild.

[sandgrubber]

The devil is in the details. The WA government seems to be unwilling or unable to release the text of the law . . . at least I can't get any of the links on the wa.gov.au webpages to work. I think most people who live or have lived in WA agree there's a cat problem. But clumsy implementation of a compulsory sterilization law could have some pretty bad ramifications. But of course, that won't happen. State governments are always SOOO careful in drafting their laws.;)

[OSoSwift]

I did find somewhere else - have to get the link again - where breeding cats could get an exemption, however gaining that could be dependent on the general impact of cats on the area - ummm well the breeders cats will make no impact (or cat owners) if they are approriately contained!

Will go hunting more tomorrow

[OSoSwift]

Found this

In introductory notes to the Bill, by Giz Watson MLC (Greens WA) outlined that the Bill will:

•

require adult cats to be registered;

•

require adult cats to be sterilised, other than for licensed breeders;

•

require local government authorities to maintain a register of cats; and

•

require adult cats to be identified by collar and tag or microchip.

•

provide exemptions from registration and identification for cats kept on land being used for a specific purpose such as:

1.

a pet shop,

2.

a cat pound,

3.

a cat refuge or

4.

a registered vet.

•

ensure that a permit is required to keep:

1.

a cat that is not desexed

2.

more than 2 cats on a permanent basis

3.

a cat in a multiple dwelling.

•

allow a permit to be refused if:

1.

an applicant was convicted of cruelty to an animal within the last 5 years;

2.

the natural environment is unsuitable for a cat or breed of cat;

3.

known prey live in close proximity;

4.

the number of cats already in the area have a detrimental effect on the natural environment;

5.

a cat would greatly interfere with quality of life in the immediate neighbourhood.

•

vest in the local government authority powers to administer and enforce the laws relating to cats. It is intended that the administration and enforcement be offset by revenue raised from licensing and fines.

•

allow the local authority to declare cat-free zones in areas of environmental significance such as A-class reserves and wetlands.

[OSoSwift]

And this.

Cat Act

I may be wrong but this to me reads like you can only own two entire cats

11. When permit required – duration – implied conditions

(1) A permit to keep a cat on any land is required if —

(a) the cat is not desexed;

(b) more than 2 cats will be kept on a permanent basis;

© the cat will be kept in a multiple dwelling.

(

2) A permit may authorize keeping 2 cats under subsection (1)(a) but only in a case where one or both is to be used for breeding.

(3) Each cat to be included in a permit under subsection (1)(b) must be desexed at the time of making the application.

(4) A local government may issue a permit for a period calculated from the date of first issue or fix a day on which all permits expire and a subsequent day by which an expired permit must be renewed.

(5) The maximum period for which a permit may be issued under subsection (4) is 18 months, and not less than 14 days must elapse between the date on which all permits expire and the date by which an expired permit must be renewed.

(6) A permit is issued subject to the condition that the owner will surrender a permit during its currency if the cat dies, or there is a substantive change in the circumstances for which the permit was issued.

[OSoSwift]

But clumsy implementation of a compulsory sterilization law could have some pretty bad ramifications.

Agreed!

[john.davey.1960]

Supporters of this type of legislation need to show where it has worked in the past. Basically it is a revenue raiser and has nothing to do with animal welfare. Microchipped dogs continue to die in droves and now we can add cats to the list.

[sandgrubber]

Supporters of this type of legislation need to show where it has worked in the past. Basically it is a revenue raiser and has nothing to do with animal welfare. Microchipped dogs continue to die in droves and now we can add cats to the list.

In my days in WA I thought it would be a boon to welfare of birds and lizards (not to mention the cleanliness of the sandbox) if suburban cats weren't abundant and free roaming. I can't see how this is going to do any harm, and if the council makes a few quid, good on 'em. I would have loved to have some mechanism for putting out a humane live cat trap in my back yard, catching a neighborhood Tom or two, and handing them in to someone who would make things unpleasant for the owners. Dogs need to be under control. SO DO CATS!

[john.davey.1960]

Next we'll be killing dingoes, oh we already do that! It is precisely this type of thinking that resulted in no Tass ie Tiger. They were a pest. Prove the legislation can and does work before killing companion animals.

[sandgrubber]

The link seems to be a 2003 Bill that was not enacted. I'd go to to

http://www.austlii.org/au/legis/wa/bill/cb201152/

This is a bill, not an act. It is draconian. $5000 fines for all violations: for failure to register your cat, or if your cat is found without tags, or if you have an unsterilized cat over 6 months of age without a certificate to breed cats . . . cats in violation are likely to be pts. Local governments can refuse breeding permits if they find facilities inadequate for 'safe' and 'ethical' breeding of cats (safe and ethical aren't defined, so local government can do what it wants).

I'm surprised it hasn't created a huge uproar.

And this.

Cat Act

I may be wrong but this to me reads like you can only own two entire cats

11. When permit required – duration – implied conditions

(1) A permit to keep a cat on any land is required if —

(a) the cat is not desexed;

(b) more than 2 cats will be kept on a permanent basis;

© the cat will be kept in a multiple dwelling.

(

2) A permit may authorize keeping 2 cats under subsection (1)(a) but only in a case where one or both is to be used for breeding.

(3) Each cat to be included in a permit under subsection (1)(b) must be desexed at the time of making the application.

(4) A local government may issue a permit for a period calculated from the date of first issue or fix a day on which all permits expire and a subsequent day by which an expired permit must be renewed.

(5) The maximum period for which a permit may be issued under subsection (4) is 18 months, and not less than 14 days must elapse between the date on which all permits expire and the date by which an expired permit must be renewed.

(6) A permit is issued subject to the condition that the owner will surrender a permit during its currency if the cat dies, or there is a substantive change in the circumstances for which the permit was issued.