Prominent Australian conservationists have co-signed a letter from former ACT chief minister Jon Stanhope urging the ACT government to bring forward a cat containment declaration for Canberra.
The ACT government has been considering widening cat containment beyond the new suburbs to cover all of the territory, after falling behind other states on the issue. The Conservation Council ACT, which initiated the letter and 30 signatures of scientists and environmentalists, found strong community support for cat containment when it raised awareness in mail-outs and media campaigns.
Mr Stanhope says one signature from the ACT Minister for Territory and Municipal Services Shane Rattenbury would help prevent the decline of Australia's native species in Canberra by containing roaming domestic cats.
Under the proposal cats would be contained within their owner's property 24 hours a day.
Co-signatories include Prime Minister's Environmentalist of the Year 2003 John Walmsley, Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment Bob Neil, former Greens senator Bob Brown and former Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur who campaigned in 2011 for new outer residential areas to be compulsory cat containment areas. The RSPCA and leaders of ACT ornithologists, grasslands and catchment groups are also signatories.
Conservation Council ACT executive director Clare Henderson said the signatories were a diverse range of champions, referring to a comment last year from Mr Rattenbury, who said if he was to declare future cat containment across ACT he would need champions for the cause.
Birman Cat Club of Canberra president Carol Cootes, who has bred cats for 25 years, said containment was in the cat's best interest.
Mrs Cootes said cats would live happily inside if they had fresh air, plenty of exercise and human companionship.
"It is irresponsible pet owners who do not de-sex their cat which makes it hard. I have issues with that. We de-sex our cats," she said.
"All our breeders contain their cats in suitable areas. All my friends inter-state take up their responsibilities, we talk to people, we reinforce the message in flyers and hand-outs."
Mrs Cootes said she sold three kittens to a couple in Goulburn. One escaped and was killed by a neighbour's pig dog. One was frightened by a back-firing car, escaped and was run over by a car. The third cat, who was kept on a harness, was still alive today.
Mrs Cootes said contained cats were not run over of a night time, nor did they get into fights. "I love my cats, I am a pro-active cat person. Be responsible for your animal, whether it is a cat or a dog," she said.
.Mr Stanhope said Canberra could become a national leader in biodiversity conservation management by demonstrating how Australians could live in harmony with native fauna through responsible pet ownership.
"Unlike other states and territories, the ACT has the scientific evidence, an already high level of community support and the existing legislative mechanism to significantly reduce predatory impacts on domestic animals on our native species," he said.
