The Western Australian Government is undertaking a statutory review of the Cat Act 2011. The review covers key aspects of cat management, including registration, identification, sterilisation, breeding, enforcement and broader cat management approaches.
The AVA supports a coordinated, nationally harmonised approach to cat management that delivers improved animal welfare, environmental protection and community outcomes. The AVA has made 9 recommendations that will improve the effectiveness of the Cat Act, including that:
- The definitions of the four distinct cat populations in Australia based on their interaction with humans (Owned, Semi-Owned, Unowned and Feral) are adopted in the legislation.
- Cat sterilisation (desexing) occurs before four months of age, unless a registered veterinarian exempts an individual cat due to determining that desexing at that age is not in the best interests of the cat.
- Clear outcome focused objectives that encourage responsible cat ownership, which is supported by stakeholder engagement, education and guidance, targeted support, research and evidence-based behaviour change.
- Funds obtained through cat registration contribute to programs supporting research, review and evaluation, population and welfare management, education and targeted support.
- Registration and inspections of breeders become a requirement of the legislation, including new definitions and approaches for intentional and unintended breeders.
- Consideration should be given to incorporating innovative population assessment tools, including alignment with the One Welfare Framework.
The feedback gathered from this consultation will be analysed by the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS) and presented to the Minister for Local Government.
The review report will also be tabled in Parliament and made available on the WA Parliament’s website.
Read the full AVA Submission
