The Cat Management Amendment Bill 2019 aims to strengthen the decade-old original act, making it easier to interpret and bringing about changes flagged in the government's 2017 plan.

Key amendments include compulsory desexing and microchipping for cats from four months of age and a maximum of four cats per property without a permit.

People would also be allowed to trap cats which roam onto their property - if returned to the owner or a management facility within 24 hours - with primary producers given the ability to humanely destroy those found on their land more than one kilometre from a residential building.

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"If not cared for in a responsible manner, [cats] can have serious impacts on the community, agriculture and wildlife," said Primary Industries Minister Guy Barnett.

But many believe the bill has missed an opportunity to force owners to take more responsibility to keep the pets within their property.

Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association chief executive Peter Skillern said though the organisation supported the bill, it hoped to see further action on containment - an "issue for the whole community".

The Tasmanian Conservation Trust and Tamar NRM echoed this view, asking those concerned to sign a petition calling for roaming cats to be made an offence before the bill is debated when parliament resumes.

Rachel Beech, the founder and director of the only cat management facility in Northern Tasmania, Just Cats, also said a roaming provision "should have been in the bill".

Ms Beech welcomed the desexing and microchip changes, adding others around the trapping of cats were simply legislating what was already taking place.

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