Gosnells has opened a new cat management centre as part of changes to improve the way cats are managed in the city.
The new centre, at the city’s operations centre in Maddington, can house up to 12 cats at any time.
Deputy mayor Adam Hort said previously residents had to take cats to South Perth’s cat management centre, which was inconvenient and time-consuming.
“This new facility will make it easier for residents to safely drop off cats that are causing a nuisance on their property and easier for cat owners to quickly retrieve their wandering pets, causing less stress for the animals and their owners,” he said.
“The city’s recent community consultation on cat management provided a very clear indication that residents wanted better ways to manage the impact of cats on the environment, reduce the nuisance wandering cats can cause, as well as ensure cat owners can keep their cats safe and healthy.
“Cats that wander are far more likely to be injured or catch diseases and we know how devastating they are to native animal populations in bushland areas, so we always encourage owners to keep their cats inside or in a cat enclosure.”
The council loans small animal traps to residents at no cost to catch wandering cats on their property (a bond applies).
Under the Cat Act 2011, all cats over six months old are required to be registered unless an exemption applies.
As such, once cats are impounded, they must be registered, microchipped and sterilised before they can be released to their owners.
If owners can’t be found, the cats will be rehomed through Cat Haven or another rehoming organisation.
Cr Hort said the council had expanded the number of cat-prohibited areas, to protect our native wildlife.
“People with cats who live within 200m of these areas are required to keep their cats contained to their property, whether indoors or in a cat enclosure.”
The cat centre will be open daily, from 8am to 9am, and 4pm to 5pm. Visit gosnells.wa.gov.au for
