Can You Report Dangerous Cats?

[MarieEvans]

You can actually report that cat so he can be confined in the owner's premises. Maybe you have to bring witnesses along, if that helps.

[rebelsquest]

I thought the same as LMBC, sounds like cat is sitting in front yard attacking people who walk by?

In that case, sounds impossible to trap it, so either speak to the owner or speak to the council.

[persephone]

both cops needed hospital treatment. Must have been one uber feral cat. :laugh:

Not necessarily ..Mum had to get hospital treatment due to a bite received from our absolute beanbag of a Dougal cat She went to pick him up when he was asleep ... Thank goodness she didn't blame him ..even though she was quite ill for a while with infection .

[Teebs]

Yeah. Cat bites are nasty. I know a few people who have ended up very very sick from them, never meds with a cat bite

[Mystiqview]

When I was an AMO for council, I was scratched by a cat as we were taking it out of the trap at the pound. My arm swelled up twice the size and I needed hospitalisation. It was not a ferral cat per sae (although a few choice words were said at the time). It was someone's cat "who gets locked up at night" and the owners did not see it a problem to let it wander during the day. The neighbours had trapped it and had taken photographs of the cat killing a number of native birds and other wildlife.

Other council staff also have had to be treated on a number of times from handling cats and being scratched and bitten. The fact is, if the cat wanders and comes into contact with other wandering or ferral cats, they can contract Feline flu. Bacteria in claws can cause nasty infections.

The trap needs to be on your property. It also needs to be observed that if a person is wishing to trap an animal, all care and attention needs to be considering to the basic welfare of the animal (ie water and not be left in the hot sun all day). We recommended placing the trap in a shady area and not to leave the trap out all day while the person was at work and could not keep an eye on the trap. It is also a requirement that if the owner of the cat sees the cat in your possession or in a trap in your property, has every legal right to request the animal to be returned. Hence why we always recommended that the trap be not so much as hidden but not in plain sight if the person trapping the animal wishes to not later be targeted by neighbourhood disputes and wishes to be anonymous.

If the person is not wanting that option, or does not want to approach the neighbours in person, some councils offer a "fact sheet" which can be downloaded and placed in their letterbox. The owner of the cat may just throw it in the bin and do nothing to confine the cat to the property, but it maybe a first option to try.

But really.. It is the responsibly of all pet owners to keep their animals confined to their property for the animal's safety and the safety of the community - regardless of whether it is dog, cat, poultry or livestock.

[mirawee]

I have been on the forums long enough to see nasty posts directed at cats by dog people. If the cat has been traumatised by kids in the past it's no wonder it is behaving this way, it is not common for cats to go out of their way to attack people so something isn't right.

No animal should be allowed to be a danger but how about considering it from the animals side of things but I guess that's too hard for some people.

I am a bit confused by your posts. Are you saying because there is the possibility that the cat is aggressive due to previous mistreatment it is allowed to attack people who are walking by and trying to ignore it? That it should not be reported as it "isn't" (possibly) it's fault?

I would be ringing the council ASAP

[mantis]

I have been on the forums long enough to see nasty posts directed at cats by dog people. If the cat has been traumatised by kids in the past it's no wonder it is behaving this way, it is not common for cats to go out of their way to attack people so something isn't right.

No animal should be allowed to be a danger but how about considering it from the animals side of things but I guess that's too hard for some people.

I am a bit confused by your posts. Are you saying because there is the possibility that the cat is aggressive due to previous mistreatment it is allowed to attack people who are walking by and trying to ignore it? That it should not be reported as it "isn't" (possibly) it's fault?

I would be ringing the council ASAP

Exactly.

Whether or not the cat is vicious because of previous abuse, it shouldn't be allowed out so it can hurt people, sheesh, if it was a dog, people on here would either call the owners irresponsible, or saying it should be PTS.

[melzawelza]

I reported a cat that attacked my dog on leash in the street. He used to rush at dogs walking past. Bit a hole in my dogs ear resulting in a trip to the vet for antibiotics. Went to town hall and rangers took a full report and said they would write a letter warning owners to keep it contained. A cat can't be declared dangerous but I can be declared a nuisance in nsw. Seemed to work as cat was not seen stalking dog walkers after that! Hats off to council for taking it seriously mind you they did see the injuries in person

This. The cat can't be declared dangerous but it can be declared a nuisance.

If it is a menace. Some councils also hire out cat traps. Place it somewhere where your neighbour cannot see it from the front yard (more to keep neighbourhood peace).

Place a foil tin of dine or simlar in the trap. When the cat enters it will spring close. Put the whole trap in the car and take to your local pound.

In QLD, it is a legal requirement that all cats are confined to the property 24/7 and must be registered with the local council. Cats are not allowed to roam - not even during the day.

You can report a menacing and or wandering cat.

Why tell them to take it to the pound! The cat is not a stray etc. it's home is well known. How would you like it if someone trapped one of your animals and took it to the pound - and then having to rely in the pound to scan it etc and hope they're not full and don't PTS before you find it??

If there is an issue then contact the Council and they will deal with it.

It is the responsibility of the cat owner to ensure their cat is confined to their property.

Not in NSW it isn't.

If it is a menace. Some councils also hire out cat traps. Place it somewhere where your neighbour cannot see it from the front yard (more to keep neighbourhood peace).

Place a foil tin of dine or simlar in the trap. When the cat enters it will spring close. Put the whole trap in the car and take to your local pound.

In QLD, it is a legal requirement that all cats are confined to the property 24/7 and must be registered with the local council. Cats are not allowed to roam - not even during the day.

You can report a menacing and or wandering cat.

You cannot just steal the cat because it is a menace. That is not the way to deal with this.

Maybe the people do not know or realise what the cat is doing. Cats don't just attack people normally so I would guess it has been traumatised in some way.

Has anyone ever actually spoke to the people about this ?

If not that seems the way to start or if everyone isn't brave enough or can't approach because of the cat a letter in their mailbox explaining the problem & that you all hope they will keep the cat indoors or accompany it if outside or you will have to contact the council. Give them a week to act & if they don't call the council & tell others to do the same. One call they may ignore, lots they won't.

Legally, if the cat is outside of personal property boundaries or within your property property boundaries, you are legally entitled to "seize" the cat to the pound (or vet). You are not stealing the animal at this point. If you then choose keep the animal, then yes it is stealing.

No, not in NSW, where the OP is. The cat is allowed to wander.

HOWEVER this particular cat could be seized because of the attacking.

Section 32 of the Companion Animals Act:

32 Action to protect persons and animals against cats

(1) Any person may lawfully seize a cat if that action is reasonable and necessary for the protection of any person or animal (other than vermin) from injury or death.

You cannot allow your cat to wander into someone else's property, and it is perfectly acceptable and legal to hire a cat trap from the council to catch a cat that is on your own property .

However, from the sounds of the OP it seems as thought the cat is just sitting in front of its own house? If that is the case then you can't just put a trap wherever you want and catch it. As far as I am aware you are only allowed to trap cats on your own property.

I've been through this recently. There is no where in the Act that states that a cat must not enter someone's property. It is simply not an offence for someone's cat to enter your yard. There is no fine for it and it is not listed in the Act.

If it's yowling non stop outside your window or destroying your property the cat can be declared a nuisance but there is no offence committed if it simply walks into your yard and hangs out.

Each Council interprets how to deal with cats very differently as the act is so so inadequate when it comes to cats. Some will seize cats that are obviously lost without an owner even though technically they don't have authority to. However most Councils will refuse to pick up a cat that you've trapped on your property unless there's an ongoing nuisance complaint and the cat has been declared a nuisance or you sign a stat dec to say it was killing wildlife (that makes the seizure legal as per the part I quoted earlier). Others will pick up cats that are obviously feral without that stat dec but not domestics. It's a shady grey area but if you take it literally as some Councils do they refuse to pick up any cat for any reason other than with an accompanying stat dec to say that the cat was killing wildlife.

Edited January 2, 2013 by melzawelza

[OSoSwift]

I have had an infected tendon from a cat scratch and a hand that blew up to twice the size it should of and a huge amount of pain. Took two differnt lots of antibiotic to clear it up - nasty.

It was interestingly my own indoor cat that did it when I went to grab him as he went to bolt out the door and I frightened him.

[Lady Flying Furball]

This is an article in the Sydney Morning Herald about a cat attacking two police officers

Cat Rescue