The management of cats by local governments in Australia: summary of national survey results

Date: 23, Nov, 2021
Author(s): Sarah Legge   Tida Nou  
Publisher: TSR Hub

Local governments have a central role in cat management in Australia, holding a primary responsibility for managing the estimated 4.9 million pet and also the 0.7 million feral cats living in and around human settlements. Cat management is a complex and ongoing issue for local governments. We surveyed local governments to gain an improved understanding of what cat management practices they use, how these are monitored, and what information and actions could support improvements. Local governments reported that they face major challenges and constraints to managing cats effectively and emphasised that pet and feral cat management practices are closely connected. Based on the survey results, we make several recommendations for cat management.