The RSPCA is pre-empting amendments to the Cat Management Act being passed in parliament, requiring cats to be desexed by four months, with a new desexing payment plan.
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According to the RSPCA, a pair of cats and their kittens can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in seven years, further adding to the stray and feral cat problem in Tasmania.
Before COVID-19 hit the organisation offered localised payment plans to pay for desexing costs, but, with the amendment bill likely to be approved later this year, it introduced a plan to help low income earners meet the requirements.
It will begin to offer a statewide program to assist those who can least afford the operation.
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The payment plan will be through Centrepay, an online service to pay bills and expenses as regular deductions from Centrelink payments, and will only be available to holders of heath care, pension and students cards.
A deposit of $30 will be required, before the RSPCA foots the bill and the owner begins repaying the balance at a minimum of $25 a fortnight.
Although the scheme is only available for people receiving Centrelink benefits, the RSPCA said it was also investigating options to help low income earners.
The amendment to the Cat Management Act was tabled in state parliament in November last year but is yet to progress further.
The key amendments include compulsory desexing and microchipping for cats from four months old, a maximum of four cats per property without needing a permit and a requirement of all cats being reclaimed to be microchipped and desexed.
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