Home > Issues > Cat Confinement & Legislation

“Ban those cats” - Resolving wildlife issues in the ACT

Canberra is colloquially called ‘the Bush Capital', a title of which residents are very proud. Suburbs are separated by bush and rural land, older suburbs have stands of mature trees, and on the city margins are some of the most precious remnants of Yellow Box and Red Gum woodlands. The city and surrounds supports rich and varied populations of native animals, especially birds and reptiles, providing a challenge to the ACT's land managers to balance protection of the important environmental values with the rights and amenity of residents.

New suburbs are being developed adjacent to significant woodlands, recently established as nature reserves. Conservationists called for a ban on cats to protect, principally, threatened species of woodland birds. An alternative approach was found, and this paper discusses the process of implementing a housing development that is both ecologically friendly and pet friendly, and what this means for domestic pet management.

Residents of two new suburbs must keep cats confined at all times. An education program promotes the need for and benefits of cat confinement, and signage in the community reminds residents of this need.

An appendix provides an extract fro the ACT Code of Practice for the welfare of cats (under the Animal Welfare Act 1992) which provides practical and measurable guidelines for the welfare of confined cats.