The RSPCA will continue to push for cats to be confined to properties, despite the measure not being enforced in a new plan to manage Tasmania’s cat population.
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On Wednesday, the government released its new Cat Management Plan, which included penalties if cats were not desexed and microchipped, and for a permit to be required if a household owned more than four cats.
On Thursday, RSPCA chief executive Peter West labelled the plan a “mixed bag”.
“We have always said that a plan needs to be a mix of action, education, and research, and that’s what this looks at,” Mr West said.
“We don’t feel it’s gone far enough in relation to some of the more trickier subject matters … we want to look at registration of cats, like they do dogs, and how laws can be introduced for the confinement of cats.
“We believe that cats should be confined to a property – outdoor runs or kept inside.”
Local Government Association of Tasmania president Doug Chipman said he had worked closely with the state government to ensure the plan could be implemented effectively.
“LGAT supports the proposal by the government that would locate three regional officers to support changed attitudes and behaviours in cat ownership,” he said.
“Part of the role of the regional officers will be to work with councils in educating the community about responsible cat ownership, as well as the requirements to desex and microchip.
“But officers will also support councils in managing complaints of nuisance cats but with the major focus on education, rather than compliance.”
David Rees, president of the state’s largest cat shelter Ten Lives, said he welcomed the changes and stood by the plan for mandatory desexing and microchipping.
“We believe that the next step is to educate and inform the Tasmanian public about the need to contain their cats,” Mr Rees said.
“Ten Lives believes containment is better for cats, better for the environment and better for the Tasmanian community.
“Ten Lives encourages all cat owners to keep their cats on their property, or better still, to have a cat door leading to an outside cat run.”