Community reminded of cat curfew

Community reminded of cat curfew Monday 04 June

East Gippsland Shire Council is reminding residents a 24-hour cat curfew applies throughout the shire.

The curfew means cats are treated the same as dogs, and need to be contained to the owner’s property at all times. The cat curfew has been in place for 15 years.

There are 2,109 registered cats in East Gippsland, kittens need to be registered once they are three months old.

The number of stray, feral and unwanted cats is at an all-time high which unfortunately results in devastating consequences for those cats in many cases.

Council’s Community Law Coordinator Bill Petersen said many cat owners fail to recognise their pet may be a wildlife predator.

“Cats have had a significant impact on the eradication of 27 native species. Cats, by nature, are hunters and the curfew is in place partly to help manage this threat to wildlife,” Mr Petersen said.

“It is possible for your cat to live happily contained to your property boundaries. Contained cats are less likely to become lost, impounded or injured.

"They are also less likely to get into cat fights and sustain related injuries such as abscesses or catch diseases such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.”

When cats are contained to the owner’s property it also increases the opportunity for owner-animal interaction and reduces the impact of hunting by cats and disturbance caused to neighbours.

Outdoor cat enclosures and specialised backyard fences that rotate inwardly, allow your cat to spend time outdoors while still being kept to their property.

Here are some cat containment tips to make your home a feline-friendly, stimulating environment:

Provide vertical and horizontal climbing spaces, cats generally like to gain height to view scenes from above and they also tend to feel safer that way; Introduce several safe toys to keep your cat amused – it’s a good idea to have a variety of toys hidden away so you can give your cat different toys on different days; Allow access to several scratching posts as cats love to scratch and it also keeps their nails in good condition (which can assist in any unwanted scratching of furniture).

Council encourages cat owners to have their cat desexed to reduce the likelihood of unwanted pregnancies, fighting, urine spraying and the desire to roam to find a mate.

Cat owners are eligible for a reduced registration fee if their animal is desexed, saving up to $146, depending on certain conditions.