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Dog day afternoon for cats

21/10/2021

2 Comments

 
PictureCartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak
By Catherine Watson
 
BASS Coast cats are on notice – their days of carousing, brawling and stalking innocent birds are drawing to a close.

Councillors this week voted to adopt the 
Domestic Animal Management Plan which mandates a 24/7 cat lockdown from July 1, 2023.
 
Local cats were placed under a night time curfew in 2016, with the idea that it would eventually expand to become a 24/7 grounding. The time has arrived.​

Several municipalities and shires in environmentally sensitive areas already require cats to be confined.
 
Between now and D-Day the council will work to educate and support cat owners to contain their cats on their own properties. Since cats are undeterred by walls and fences, this generally means confining them to the house.
​Many conscientious cat owners have already constructed elaborate systems to allow their pets a taste of the outdoors while keeping them safe and preventing them from butchering the local wildlife.
 
A community working group will work with the council and help to spread the message about responsible cat ownership. The council will also investigate ways it can support the community to buy or build cat enclosures.  

​Most of the attention in the plan
 is on cats this time, which is interesting considering a survey conducted for the plan found 65.5 per cent of local respondents had dogs while only 16.5 per had cats.
 ​
​Contained cats can be walked and exercised outside of their property if kept on a leash.
Domestic Animal Management Plan
Picture
Oh, the indignity!
Five years ago, there was a near revolution when the council proposed to trial no-dog beaches in Inverloch over summer, but the heat seems to have gone out of that particular debate.

The perennial dogfight is between hoodies (guardians of the rare hooded plovers) and some dog owners who refuse to leash their dogs during breeding season when the chicks are at their most vulnerable. Last year it led to threats of violence and vigilante campaigns on Phillip Island.  
 
The plan touches on the issue without attempting to solve it. It does commit to reviewing the current rules on shire-managed beaches and to bring them into line with beaches controlled by Phillip Island Nature Parks and Parks Victoria.
 
It also committed to developing a business case for introducing poo dispenser bags in public spaces such as dog parks.
 
Which prompted this response from Cr Ron Bauer: “Why do we need a business case to bring in the no-brainer of the poo dispenser bags on the poles?  …  Let me tell you the best way to bring in this measure. Get a nail, a hammer and nail it to the pole and for good measure get a red bin. Job done. Oh and don’t forget in summer to pick up the bin every week.”
 
Cat tales: March 7, 2015 – Carmen Bush explains why she keeps her cat confined.
 
​
2 Comments
James Walton link
22/10/2021 12:13:04 pm

I have a cat which is responsibly contained. I don't understand why this doesn't apply to dogs as well. They chase the roos that come up from the reserve, and they kill possums, and birds. I realize a cat is more mobile and is a dangerous predator because of this. As for the doggie bags, well, I'm always dodging the barker's eggs whilst walking.

Reply
Yvonne McRae
22/10/2021 01:16:42 pm

Any moggie will pounce on birds, lizards frogs - if it moves pounce.- not to eat necessarily but those sharp claws buried in a small bird etc. is a death sentence. One week I caught 3 cats one night after the other. And they will not necessarily be checked for 'ownership' some go straight to that big cattery in the sky. James you are spot on re doggie bags. Before Covid I went every year to WA, there are doggie bags galore, bins next to the stations for the 'proceeds' and regularly emptied. get with the program BC Shire. Cheers, Yvonne

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