This week’s action is about a Bill in the NSW parliament that aims to protect wildlife from roaming pet cats. It can be a touchy subject, but the evidence shows that cats who are kept under control are happy and live up to 10 years longer than cats allowed to roam. Requiring cat owners to contain their cats at home or keep them on a lead outside is working in other states and it can work here in NSW.
Pet cats will hunt if they are allowed to roam and, on average, each will kill 110 native animals a year. In the Greater Sydney area alone there are approximately 1 million pet cats responsible for killing about 66 million native animals every year.
Please consider signing the petition asking NSW government ministers to support the Companion Animals Amendment (Control of Cats) Bill 2025 which has been tabled in parliament by Sue Higginson MLC. The bill makes exceptions to enforcement for cat owners who are vulnerable for a range of reasons.
The petition explains how the legislation would work if the Bill is passed. The Biodiversity Council, Birdlife Australia and the Invasive Species Council have compiled research on the benefits of containment for cats and cat owners, as well as for native wildlife.