Having failed to introduce blanket 24-hour cat curfew last year, Geelong council has changed tack.
Focusing on the carrot rather than the stick, the City of Greater Geelong is offering cat owners a discount of at least 50 per cent on pet registration if they commit to containing their feline friends.
The move to increase cat containment aligns with the Victorian cat management strategy, which notes that indoor contained cats generally have longer lifespans, suffer less disease and trauma from traffic collisions and cost less in vet bills.
Increased cat containment also leads to less public nuisance and a reduced impact on native wildlife, as well as lowering the pressure on local animal shelters.
While the complete containment option is voluntary, the existing dusk-to-dawn curfew will remain in effect for all cats.
Anthony Basford, Executive Director City Life said cat owners would spot changes to their annual notices from this month onward.
“Registration is an important part of protecting cats and ensuring that lost pets are reunited with their owners, while keeping them safely contained helps them have healthier lives,” he said.
“We know community members want the best for their cats and our containment incentive and free year of registration offer go towards helping to support responsible ownership.
“Increased registration fees reflect rising fees from the Victorian Government and the growing costs of our services, such as responding to nuisance cat complaints, trapping and reunification.”
Councillor Chris Burson, chair of the council’s safety, graffiti and regulation portfolio, said the ‘paws indoors, fees down’ commitment recognised the positive role responsible owners played in reducing roaming behaviour.
“Indoor cats live safer and healthier lives and the savings on registration are an added bonus,” he said.
“Owners of roaming cats face 400 per cent higher vet bills compared to contained cats because of attacks from other cats and dogs, accidents with cars and mishaps on the street.
“In fact, fractures caused by road accidents are one of the top five reasons cats attend the vet, with an average bill of $836.”
Visit geelong.link/registerapet for more information on pet registration.
