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​Roaming cats not welcome here

16/8/2023

10 Comments

 
PictureEd Thexton calls on cat lovers to do their bit for wildlife.
By Ed Thexton

THE great thing about travel is that it gives you air to reflect on your life at home, experience the unexpected and, if in Japan, to experience the first world done differently (no crime, no grime).  One such place on our way to the venerable Mt Fuji back in April was the Hakone Open Air Museum in the small tourist town of Gora where we came across the Picasso Exhibition Hall, two storeys of paintings, sculptures and ceramic works in addition to photos of the artist at various points during his life.  The other was a cat shop. Visualise an armada of waving paws, devoted to all thing cat.  The Japanese clearly love their cats.

It was here that my brain, free from the trivialities of home life, was let out to roam.  Triggered by the surprise juxtaposition of Picasso’s high art and cat crap, I reflected on the Jekyll and Hyde duality of Felis catus, the domestic moggy.

How an animal can embody warmth, comfort and affection as an intimate companion animal of the home only to morph into a ruthlessly efficient killer when let out, and then, with a lift of the cat flap, step inside to transform back into the demanding, dismissive, purveyor of the purr, while hiding the inner smirk in the knowledge of a full belly and another successful hunt.   Stretched out or curled in its favourite sunspot, it digests its prey.  And it will venture out tomorrow, the next day and the next for a decade or more.

Of course, we of the South Gippsland Conservation Society have unwittingly aided and abetted them by creating the perfect habitat to attract the birds and smaller creatures they hunt. 

We have long known about the impact of cat predation on wildlife.  However, in recent years analysis of stomach content has revealed that, far from just killing a bird or two, feral and domestic cats alike are killing the smaller animals closer to the foundation of the food chain: insects, reptiles, frogs, birds and small animals up to 200 grams.  As a chain is only as strong as its weakest link a great deal of our habitat work may have been compromised.

Fortunately, the Bass Coast Shire Council has responded to those concerns with a Domestic Animal Management Plan to foster safe, responsible pet ownership.  In 2021 it introduced a night-time curfew for cats and from 1 July 2023 cats need to be contained to their owners' property at all times. 

On a perfect viewing day riding the gondola to take in the exquisite symmetry and might of Mt Fuji, part of my brain continued to mull on how we at the SGCS could support the new containment order.  After all, our work and the animals we love will be the direct beneficiaries.

I started with marketing.  What catchy acronym?  There is no acronym catchier in relation to cats than CLAW.  Now to give meaning to the acronym.  Who are we targeting? That was easy – cat lovers.  What are our concerns? Wildlife.  What do we want to do? Stop wildlife extinction.  Adding an E to make CLAWE came easily, hence – Cat Lovers Against Wildlife Extinction. 

I was driven by the example of my bird-loving neighbours who bought an enormous urban block on a creek,from fellow bird lovers.  People who had worked diligently for decades to retain the large remnant indigenous trees and complement them by planting indigenous trees and shrubs.  Having made the financial sacrifice, my fellow bird lovers continue to pursue their love of birds through careful management to maximise habitat.  The result: nesting opportunities for bushland birds, locally unparalleled. 

What happens?  As a tourist town, visitors come down to stay nearby.  They come with their cat.  A black cat.  A black cat they let out at night to roam.  An image now cemented in my mind’s eye.  An image that gradually emerged into a sign.  An image that our Society artist friend, Colin Suggett, was able to craft after only a couple of phone conversations.  Purrfect.
The sign lets it be known that roaming cats are not welcome here.  A few such signs in a street give local meaning to the new cat containment laws and forewarn cat lovers that here are people who do not take kindly to roaming cats at any time.  

Furthermore, the sign is proof that loving cats and being against wildlife extinction are not mutually exclusive.  That here are people who don’t hate cat lovers, nor cats, and are prepared to do them both a favour while asking for reciprocal respect for their love of the animals they value.  Animals that people like my neighbours have devoted energy, money and decades to perpetuating in our area. 

While hopefully also jogging their memory that owners whose cats are found roaming now risk a $192 fine, as well as pound release fees.

CLAWE signs will be available for $5 at the Bunurong Environment Centre from early September. 
10 Comments
Meryl & Hartley Tobin
19/8/2023 09:58:08 am

A thoughtful, logical, balanced and at times witty look at a big problem. Thanks, Ed.

Reply
Julie Thomas
19/8/2023 10:50:20 am

Thank you, Ed, for this well-considered article. And for your reference to the creatures that are 'closer to the foundation of the food chain.' These are the insects, bugs, frogs, tiny reptiles, grassland birds. Highlighting this section of wildlife is critical if we are to ensure survival of other wild creatures.
Drive past the estate being developed entering San Remo and really look at the ground being dug up. The cat control issue is sound; cats compound the problem but in isolation, cat control is not enough. Even cats couldn't permanently wipe out the grassland creatures that lived there, even while it was farmland. It wasn't a picturesque woodland, but it has been the last hope for these tiny creatures before their habitat is permanently destroyed, its species extinguished with no option to recover and another food source for the larger wildlife is wiped out.

Reply
Anne Heath Mennell
19/8/2023 02:43:24 pm

I'm so sorry to hear about the destruction in San Remo, Julie. The ground may not have been picturesque to humans but it was home to probably millions of life-forms. Another big hole in the web of life ...

Reply
Ant
30/8/2023 08:39:07 am

Hi Julie, I have been dealing with displaced and ill wombats in that immediate area.
It is a sad reality that this spreading urbanisation is negatively impacting all our fauna and flora. It is a loosing battle. I have struggled with owners allowing dogs off lead in this area another stressor for our wildlife. Responsible pet ownership is adhering to the rules of off lead areas for the safety of our environment but also of their beloved pets, a concept that still does not resonate with some. I have witnessed roos and wombats harassed by off lead dogs, with owners saying "my dog won't hurt it"
Thankyou for bringing to light the other magnificent creatures in this eco system who are impacted. Wombat Mangemanagement.org.au

Reply
CHRISTINE GRAYDEN
19/8/2023 03:31:05 pm

Clever poster and article thanks Ed. As soon as a dumped cat was accepted here, the cat run went up and the window flap went in. She was perfectly happy, safe, and lived inside and out to at least 15 years old as far as the vet could tell. A friend gave us some cat net, and we bought extra to use on some posts we already had and a section of concrete reo for the gate with wired-on hinges. Job done at little expense and took about 3 hours. A few small scratching logs and a ladder and platform. Just not hard. If you need to appeal to any offending cat-owners, try the hip-pocket approach. Roaming cat fine $192. Pound release fee $59. Daily care fee in pound $13. If no microchip in place when cat brought to pound, cat is microchipped $61. If cat needs vet assessment for pound, vet fee + $31-$33 transport each way. Economically insane not to have a secure cat run for your cat, without the huge cost to environment of wandering cats, and the risks to your cat. Ed, not sure about your interpretation of a pet cat's behaviour though. Humans frequently display calculating behaviour. But cats are just doing what instinct and human reinforcement of certain of their behavours tells them to do - inside and outside the home.

Reply
ian samuel
19/8/2023 05:42:16 pm


It is tirelessly documented that "roaming" unrestrained cats are natural predators perfectly equipped for the the destruction of Australia's unique ground dwelling wild life.
It is also a fact that Feral cats are the most widely spread and destructive introduced predator.
Bass Coast are to be congratulated on their cat containment by law, . but no by law is effective without the owners support.

Reply
John Coldebella
20/8/2023 11:16:31 am

We could also do with a "Roaming MPs and Bureaucrats not welcome here" poster. It seems to me that humans can also embody warmth, comfort and affection as an intimate companion of the home only to morph into ruthlessly efficient killer when let out to pass legislation and make decisions. Then, with a key, step inside to transform back into an intimate companion while hiding the fact that another habitat has been destroyed. Stretched out or curled up on a couch or armchair, they too will venture out tomorrow or the next day to do it all again.

Reply
Andrew Kelly link
21/8/2023 08:27:43 am

Nice one Ed. Well done.

Reply
Ant
30/8/2023 08:48:55 am

As a foster carer of over 20 cats desexed and vet checked (when I resided in melbourne), at least half of them strays and semi feral they adjusted effortlessly to indoor life while I fostered them. I also own a cat who is 24/7 indoor with her outdoor activities on harness and supervised. Cats live a magnificent and full indoor life. I stopped fostering cats over 10 years ago because there was no guarantee that these cats would go to indoor homes and/or responsible pet owners. The destruction that cats do when free to roam is unacceptable. Cats are mini lions, stalkers and killers, wonderful indoor only pets. Once again people refuse to acknowledge this and as a consequence the breeding and killing cycle continues. Sadly some cat rescue organisations also have not helped this "freedom to cats" narrative.

Reply
Pamela Jacka
31/8/2023 10:07:20 am

Exactly, Ant ! I have just "retired" from the role of cat lover/owner after being bullied and occasionally loved by three indoor cats for most of the last 20 years. I had a large Catnip cat run which they all enjoyed, especially the feral I rescued and couldn't bring myself to have put down. I have now given the cat run away and it has been divided into two, meaning there are now two happy (that their cats are safe) and responsible (that the wildlife is safe) families in Wonthaggi.

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