Australian town BANS cats from wandering around at night

‘The safest place for a cat to be is at home’: Australian town BANS cats from wandering around at night – and stops residents from owning more than two of them at once

By Charlie Coë For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 00:56 BST, 5 September 2019 | Updated: 01:08 BST, 5 September 2019

Cat owners in an Australian town will no longer be able to let their feline friends wander the streets at night under tough new laws.

The by-laws coming into effect early next year in Mount Barker, South Australia will mean cats must not leave their owner’s property between 8pm and 7am.

Residents in the town 30km south-east of Adelaide will also no longer be allowed to own more than two cats – and will face stiff penalties if their cats cause a nuisance.

Cat owners in an Australian town will no longer be able to let their feline friends wander the streets at night under tough new laws (stock image)

Mount Barker’s manager of health and safety Jamie Tann told The Messenger the move followed calls for the council to better control the movement of cats in the town.

‘A lot of people have mentioned they want the council to play a role in cat management,’ he said.

‘We’re allowing cats to roam for part of the day, but at night when they’re most active and have the most impact on wildlife, we’re expecting them to be kept inside.’

Owners will need to register their cats under the new plans, and the two-feline limit can only be exceeded if residents have a cattery or already have more than two.  

The RSPCA has raised concerns the cat limit would stop people in Mount Barker from taking in strays, and said the council had not spelled out how they would enforce their laws.

 

 

 

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