Emma Hurst, the MP for the Animal Justice Party, has been asked to run the Inquiry into the Management of Cat Populations in New South Wales. 

The Animal Justice Party (AJP) is advocating for urgent reforms in cat welfare, highlighting the pressing issues faced by homeless cats and the need for comprehensive policy changes to protect them.

Every cat deserves care and protection. They need your voice NOW!

Cats are being demonised and targeted by baiting, trapping and other inhumane methods, methods that are both cruel and ineffective.

The Invasive Species Council is intensifying its attacks on cats, rallying supporters to make submissions that promote lethal controls and call for mandatory cat containment, despite lacking evidence that these measures work. This will lead to terrible suffering for cats.

This is our opportunity to advocate for their protection and well-being!

Below, you'll find guidance on how to address key animal welfare concerns in your responses. Remember, writing in your own words, sharing your personal experiences and showing concern will have greater impact.

📆 Submissions close: 22nd November 2024

Why Your Voice Matters For Cats 📢

Your voice is their future.

By sharing your thoughts, you can highlight the issues they face and push for the necessary reforms to ensure their protection and welfare. Your submission plays a massive role in shaping future policies.

Emma urges you to add your submission - your voice is everything for animals!

A submission can be any length and either attached or composed on the parliament website. Whether it’s based on your experience with desexing programs, cat welfare, or educational campaigns, share your thoughts on what you believe the Government should be doing in this area. Suggestions points to use are below!

Make your submission

Be prepared to include the following details:

• Name
• Address
• Contact

However, you can choose whether you would like your name and/or submission made public.

📝 Submission Guide - Your voice is needed

Your voice is powerful! Your submission can help shape the future of animal welfare and ensure the ban on live sheep export remains in place.

We've put together some responses and points for you to consider when drafting your submission. Whether you have a little time or a lot, every submission counts. 

View the Terms of Reference

Points to Consider When Writing Your Submission:

When drafting your response, personalise it as much as possible - share your thoughts, experiences and concerns in your own words.

This approach will not only resonate more deeply with those reviewing the inquiry but will also reflect the genuine care and commitment we all share for the welfare of animals.

We support humane, science-based solutions for cat welfare and wildlife protection in NSW. Feel free to use these points and data as a basis for your own submission.

Focus on Evidence

Killing cats to protect wildlife hasn’t worked before and it won’t work now, it’s cruel and doesn’t solve the problem. 

Community cat programs that focus on rehoming, targeted desexing, TNR and community education have proven highly effective at reducing stray cat populations. 

These initiatives also ease the burden on councils, shelters and rescue groups, while supporting the well-being of vets, nurses and volunteers involved.

• A NSW Government-commissioned report supports large-scale desexing programs instead, showing that killing programs are ineffective.
• The recent NSW Pound Inquiry has recommended a proactive solution: providing grants to councils and rescue organisations to fund large-scale, targeted desexing programs across the state, including community cat desexing in areas with large homeless cat populations, especially disadvantaged communities. These kinds of programs are a long-term, compassionate solution that reduces stray cat populations without demonising cats.
• The best solution is helping semi-owners and owners in disadvantaged areas by providing free desexing and microchipping through programs like the Community Cat Program.
• Proactive community cat programs have been scientifically proven to reduce stray cat populations, decrease nuisance complaints and prevent wildlife predation.
• The Rand myth of domestic cats & urban wildlife provides a helpful summary of common misconceptions and effective solutions such as desexing for managing cats and reducing the number of homeless cats. 
• When creating policies for reducing feral and community cat populations, it’s essential to consider the Vacuum Effect, an ecological principle demonstrating that removing animals from an area only results in new animals filling the space. Without addressing the root causes of population growth, removal efforts are unsustainable and ultimately ineffective.

Cat Containment

Most cat owners already keep their cats confined, but some face barriers like housing restrictions, high costs to modify properties, or lack of information. Mandatory 24-hour cat curfews, however, often target semi-owned or stray cats, which have no owners to enforce confinement. These curfews can backfire, with some people abandoning cats to avoid fines, adding to the stray population. Demonising cats can also encourage harmful actions, with mandatory curfews sometimes leading to unchecked cruelty, as there’s often little oversight on trapping practices or what happens to the cats afterward.

• Strict mandated 24/7 cat containment have shown to increase impoundments and lead to higher euthanasia rates without actually solving issues like roaming. Cat containment laws didn’t reduce complaints about roaming cats or make a noticeable difference.
• For example, the RSPCA’s 2018 report shows that councils with containment laws have not seen reductions in cat-related complaints or wandering. 
• In Yarra Ranges(Victoria), three years after introducing a 24-hour cat curfew, cat-related complaints rose by 143%, impoundments by 68%, and euthanasia by 18%, while the population grew by just 2%. Similarly, in the City of Casey(Victoria), 20 years after implementing a cat containment policy, impoundments were up by 296% and complaints had also increased.
• Other councils, like Hobsons Bay(Victoria), have rejected cat curfews, acknowledging their ineffectiveness at addressing cat population and related issues.

Educating Pet Owners

Educating communities about responsible pet ownership is essential. 

• Encouraging people about how to keep their cats safely indoors or contained within property boundaries, such as in cat patios, can help keep both cats and wildlife safe.
• Community outreach, media campaigns and school programs teaching pet care, the importance of spaying/neutering and safe indoor environments.
• Supporting local initiatives that help manage community cat populations through rehoming programs, targeted desexing and fostering.

Wildlife

It’s easy to blame cats for the problems we face with wildlife, but the truth is, human actions have a much bigger role in creating these issues. Things like deforestation, clearing land for farming and urban sprawl are wiping out habitats for native wildlife, while making it easier for introduced species like cats to thrive. Unlike native animals, cats don’t rely on specific ecosystems to survive, which means they can adapt and thrive in these altered environments. Instead of just pointing fingers at cats, we need to focus on fixing the root causes, like projects to restore habitats and bring back biodiversity.

• Wildlife rescue data shows that cats aren’t the primary risk to many threatened species. Key threats include habitat loss, vehicle collisions and dog attacks.
• NSW Wildlife Rehabilitation Dashboard 2022-23 Data:
  • Unsuitable environment: 413 incidents
  • Collision with motor vehicles: 310 incidents
  • Habitat changes: 52 incidents
  • Dog attacks: 98 incidents
  • Cat attacks: 37 incidents
• We should protect at-risk wildlife with well-rounded, scientific and humane approaches. Efforts should be focused on habitat conservation and address threats like habitat destruction and collisions.

Every Submission Counts! 

Even a simple statement like, “We must prioritise cat welfare and support humane management practices, including desexing and education,” can make a difference.

Learn More About the Inquiry

For more details on the inquiry, visit here.

📆 Submissions close: 22nd November 2024

Need help with writing or lodging your submission?

Email us: [email protected]