Cats and rubbish 

December 2023

Thank you for the constructive advice from CATS (Cats Assistance To Sterilise) to be aware of the dangers caused by our discarded rubbish 

The threat to wildlife from cats is minor compared with the death and suffering of animals from what we humans throw out, much of it going to open tips and unsecured rubbish bins. 

Plastic, broken glass, poisons, sharp bones, threads of wool, string, and a multitude of rubbish all mixed in with food scraps, means many animals, including wildlife, suffer terribly from ingesting or choking on this waste. 

And yet the public never seems to hear about this: instead, injuries to wildlife are blamed on cats, resulting in the diabolical state, Review of the Dog and Cat Management Act which is an urban extension of the horrendous federal, 

Threat Abatement Plan for Feral Cats, currently tabled. Government has no idea of how to manage either the cats or the people who support the cats. The cover of the Dog and Cat Management Board’s information booklet has a photo of a kitten given a toy with long threads of wool to play with – life-threatening if swallowed or choked on. 

What we should be promoting is the desex and return to home method proven by CATS, which is the only one resulting in tangible evidence of a reduction in cat numbers, problems and impact on wildlife. 

James M. Richardson 

Desex your cats 

September 2023.                   

RSPCA and AWL are correct, by refusing to take any more cats and kittens.

Why, you ask? Because until they stop, residents think that there are plenty of homes for kittens and they stop desexing cats. 

Ever since the statewide legislation was imposed five years ago, forcing microchipping and registration, numbers of cats at the shelters have been doubling every year.

As the RSPCA says, overbreeding of cats is the root problem. Desexing is the only solution.

This problem will never be solved by re-homing cats through shelters and adoption agencies. 

Despite the increasing number of foster carers, there are just not enough good homes to take the kittens. 

Killing cats is not the answer either, as evidence shows that new undesexed cats from the estimated 200,000 unowned supply, simply restock the vacated spaces and breed more.   

Until the government admits that its legislative methods cannot be enforced for cats and rewrites its “Review of the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995” for cats, the catastrophe we now have will double and triple. 

Cats cannot be controlled through legislative force. Cats are not dogs. 

Christine Pierson, Kensington Park

Cats and Ducks  

September 2023. 

In response to Arthur Kalyvas (Letters, 22/6), Jeremy Madison (Letters, 20/6) was correct when he said that if all the time, money and effort wasted on trying to force microchipping and confinement of cats had been spent on saving our native waterbirds from being massacred by hunters, we would have saved multi-millions of these defenceless creatures.  

He also referred to the proof that millions of ducks had been killed and wounded in duck hunting seasons – not just in one open season.  

The deplorable slaughter of native ducks has been continuing for far too long.  

It should never have been permitted in the first place. 

And while our state government is forcing cat supporters to confine cats for killing wildlife, we have these dreadful massacres of our native waterbirds, promoted by the politicians who collect blood money for the hunting licences. 

Lisa Roberts   

Cats and mice 

It’s amazing the excuses pest controllers use to hide the real reasons why the “Mice get munchies on house” (The Advertiser, 5/7) so as not to mention the real reason is due to not enough free-living cats. 

Human pest controllers can never compete with cats for safety, efficiency and costs – and they know it. 

The percentage of native wildlife killed by cats is minimal, compared with natives killed by rat baits and pest-controlling poisons. 

Cats are also far more effective and efficient than rodent baits, and as cats eat their prey no poisoned carcasses are left for natives to ingest and die.  And cats work for virtually free. 

A good daily feed and clean water and these free-living cats, provided they are desexed, create few problems overall. However, government plans to imprison all domesticated cats and kill all others as they claim this will save native wildlife. There is no evidence-based data anywhere to substantiate these claims and as the CATS organisation has said it will increase the cat numbers. 

However, during the lapse between the removal of current cats and the influx of new cats, mice and rats pour into the vacuum – as is happening now. 

Spencer Morgan

Cat and mouse

July 2023

Re “Mice get munchies on houses," well what do you expect, when the government persecutes the cats, confining and killing them so they can’t do their job as mouse catchers anymore?

 In all the years we have had free-living cats we have never had the problems to the extent we are now facing with mice and rats eating into our homes. 

And before the comments that, well if the cats are inside they will catch the mice, this is not the solution because the cats can’t get to the mice and rats under the floor boards and behind the skirting boards, so the rodents are eating holes through them, into the house. 

Wiring it also being chewed at the back of the fridges causing dangerous conditions. 

And poisoning the rodents is also endangering the native wildlife. 

I would argue more native birds and animals are being killed by rat baits and other poisons than the cats ever kill. 

I have seen many published letters from the cat experts at CATS (Cats Assistance To Sterilise) predicting this rodent invasion of our houses.     They were correct. 

Carol Patricia James

Cats and mice

July 2023 

It’s amazing the excuses pest controllers use to hide the real reasons why the “Mice get munchies on house” not to mention the real reason is due to not enough free-living cats. 

Human pest controllers can never compete with cats for safety, efficiency and costs – and they know it. 

The percentage of native wildlife killed by cats is minimal, compared with natives killed by rat baits and pest-controlling poisons. 

Cats are also far more effective and efficient than rodent baits, and as cats eat their prey no poisoned carcasses are left for natives to ingest and die.  And cats work for virtually free. 

A good daily feed and clean water and these free-living cats, provided they are desexed, create few problems overall. 

However, the government plans to imprison all domesticated cats and kill all others as they claim this will save native wildlife. There is no evidence-based data anywhere to substantiate these claims and as the CATS organisation has said it will increase the cat numbers. 

However, during the lapse between the removal of current cats and the influx of new cats, mice and rats pour into the vacuum – as is happening now. 

Spencer Morgan

Don’t cage cats 

June 2023

I refer to veterinarian Mark Reeve’s pet advice column “Could our cherished animal friends be making us sick?” 

This is the case if cats are permanently confined in houses and small cat-runs. 

Already cats are becoming unhealthy from lack of exercise and unable to fulfill their basic needs of running, jumping, eating grass in the garden. 

Cats not able to satisfy their insatiable curiosity are becoming stressed and anxious and hospital reports show a significant increase in attacks on owners from confined cats. 

When cats become obese, lack fresh air, sunshine and freedom, they become sick. Isn’t it obvious that keeping cats permanently inside with smelly litter trays, fleas that accumulate when cats are confined, and parasites, is not in the best interests of human beings either? 

This is simple common sense. We have already seen the spread of avian flu and shocking pandemics from animals which are confined in factory farms. 

We should be getting animals out of cages, not passing laws to imprison them. The Review of the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 needs to be reviewed. 

Christine Pierson

Help our animals 

June 2023

With all the hype about the Review of the Animal Welfare Act, Review of the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 and the inquiry into duck hunting, it seems that far more interest is in how much humans can get out of the animals, not what we can do to help the animals. 

Although significant amounts of our hard-earned dollars are used for zoos, to confine and breed animals at considerable expense, many of the poor creatures are destined to be traded to other zoos as breeding machines. Torn from their homes, their families and their loved ones; fearful, stressed and alone; deposited in strange places to be used for human entertainment: This is not being kind to animals. 

The Review of the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995, regarding cats, has nothing at all for the benefit of the cats; instead, it concentrates on imprisoning all cats that politicians class as “domesticated” and killing the rest. 

And the inquiry into duck hunting should have concluded to ban this shocking cruelty without yet another review, as the slaughter and maiming of multi-millions of ducks and the dreadful suffering of the wounded native waterbirds has been apparent to our members of parliament for over 40 years. 

So much for our government’s concern for animal welfare! 

Christine Pierson 

Wildlife disaster 

June 2023

Legislation for cat management is not going to save our native birds, but legislation to ban duck hunting is. 

If all the time, money and effort wasted on trying to force microchipping and confinement of cats had been spent on saving our native waterbirds from being massacred by hunters, we would have saved multi-millions of these defenceless creatures. 

Unlike the vague estimates of cat numbers, multiplied by even vaguer estimates of how many birds they kill, we do have actual proof of the millions of ducks killed and wounded in duck hunting seasons. 

With most people in SA opposed to the slaughter of native ducks, why is the government taking so long to stop these atrocities? 

As for the cats, simply desex them and the numbers will dramatically decrease, also saving wildlife. 

Jeremy Madison

Cats 

June 2023

Jeremy Madison was correct when he said that if all the time, money and effort wasted on trying to force microchipping and confinement of cats had been spent on saving our native waterbirds from being massacred by hunters, we would have saved multi-millions of these defenceless creatures. 

Lisa Roberts

Wildlife disaster  

June 2023

Responding to legislation for cat management is not going to save our native birds, but legislation to ban duck hunting is.  

If all the time, money and effort wasted on trying to force microchipping and confinement of cats had been spent on saving our native waterbirds from being massacred by hunters, we would have saved multi-millions of these defenceless creatures.  

Unlike the vague estimates of cat numbers, multiplied by even vaguer estimates of how many birds they kill, we do have actual proof of the millions of ducks killed and wounded in duck hunting seasons.  

With most people in SA opposed to the slaughter of native ducks, why is the government taking so long to stop these atrocities?  

As for the cats, simply desex them and the numbers will dramatically decrease, also saving wildlife.  

Jeremy Madison

Change needed  

June 2023  

I agree we need to go back to the drawing board, but not the Dog and Cat Management Board, to rectify the catastrophe caused by the 2018 act.   

During the public consultation, prior to 1995, the numerous submissions sent to the government stating legislation for cats would fail were ignored.  

Managing cats cannot be compared with managing dogs.  

We don’t have an estimated 200,000 wild dogs living in populated areas as with cats.  

The proposed Review of the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 solution is to confine the domesticated cats and kill all the others. 

 Removal, confinement and killing of the “others” would result in recolonisation by new undesexed cats and increases in numbers, not decreases. 

 Before cat laws, SA had the highest percentage of desexed cats in Australia (REARK research survey) and mass desexing of cats, owned and unowned, through the low-priced CATS scheme had reduced cats received and destroyed to half at the main shelter. 

 As more cat laws were passed, fewer cats were desexed, and numbers gradually rose until the catastrophe in 2018, when RSPCA stated they were “the highest we have held in our memory” (Channel 9 News, 10/6/2019) and then were “double to 5 years ago” and the CEO told The Advertiser that the RSPCA could take no more (11/3 ).  

SA needs to follow the Queensland government which has repealed its cat management legislation, citing it as “ineffective and costly for local government”. 

 James M. Richardson

Don’t cage cats

June 2023  

I refer to veterinarian Mark Reeve’s pet advice column “Could our cherished animal friends be making us sick?”.   

This is the case if cats are permanently confined in houses and small cat runs.  

Already cats are becoming unhealthy from lack of exercise and unable to fulfil their basic needs of running, jumping, and eating grass in the garden.  

Cats not able to satisfy their insatiable curiosity are becoming stressed and anxious and hospital reports show a significant increase in attacks on owners from confined cats.  

When cats become obese and lack fresh air, sunshine and freedom, they become sick. Isn’t it obvious that keeping cats permanently inside with smelly litter trays, fleas that accumulate when cats are confined, and parasites, is not in the best interests of human beings either?  

This is simply common sense. We have already seen the spread of avian flu and shocking pandemics from animals that are confined in factory farms.  

We should be getting animals out of cages, not passing laws to imprison them. The Review of the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 needs to be reviewed.  

Christine Pierson

Review catastrophe

June 2023 

 Where is the review in the Review of the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 regarding cats?  

Nothing has been reviewed regarding the massive failure of this Act, and the plummeting of cat desexing, as residents will not comply, have microchips and record on Dog And Cat Online (DACO) and, for fear of fines, fees and seizure of their cats, they don’t desex them either.  

Nothing has been reviewed to stop the catastrophic skyrocketing of undesexed cats due to this huge drop in desexing, with the RSPCA refusing to accept anymore. 

 All that the section on cats includes is ridiculous plans that will exacerbate the problem caused by the legislation imposed five years ago.  

Hasn’t Susan Close got anybody on her Dog and Cat Management Board who knows anything about cats?  

Carol Patricia James

Cat laws don’t work

May 2023 

I have been helping people with sterilising cats for more than 35 years and know that before the cat laws, residents were keen to desex.

Since the legislation was imposed five years ago, and also since some councils have imposed cat bylaws, many residents no longer want to desex the cats because of the threats of fines and registration fees.
In fact, every time another cat law is passed, fewer cats are desexed.
Re-homing is not sustainable, because there are not enough good homes available.
Desexing cats and returning them to their homes is sustainable, efficient and cost-effective, with cats fed and cared for by residents.

The 2022 Review of the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 simply ignores all this evidence-based information and continues promoting its failed cat policy.     

 B.B. Foster

Free desexing

May 2023 

I live in Norwood Payneham and St Peters Council, the best council in SA for cat management.
As far as I know, we are the only one of 68 SA councils that have free cat desexing for all our cats, both owned cats and free-living cats which residents love, feed and care for.
We do not have wars with the council like in Campbelltown now, due to this cat bylaw, and we work together to solve any cat-related problems cost-effectively through the council/ CATS Inc scheme.
If the state government bothered to note the success of cooperation, education and assistance with the mass desexing of all cats, instead of these counter-productive cat laws, it would reduce the stress, anxiety and fears of the community.
Why do the government and Campbelltown Council persist in legislating for something that will never work, when there is a solution? Our council, which has never had any cat bylaws, desexes every cat we can find, free.

Jason P. Sanderson

Pet fury

May 2023

The war against Campbelltown City Council heated to a boiling point when the conditions of the Cats By-Law 2022 appeared on the council’s Facebook page.
Such was the abuse and colourful language that the posts were removed and the site was closed for comments with a warning posted.
Most residents know nothing of the impossible conditions being unleashed upon them in two weeks, as most of the bylaw groundwork occurred while the council chamber was closed during the pandemic, and people were urged to stay home.
Residents here have worked hard for decades to achieve a high standard of cat care with high desexing rates, and there was no excuse for their success to be undermined by this unfair treatment of their beloved cats.
They have paid to desex the cats, both their own and unowned cats, feed and care for them, and now many have multiple cats and will be forced to apply to even keep them.

Also, they will be charged registration fees for the cats if the council finds their names from microchips, and fines of $312.50 if the cats trespass.

Geraldine Hannah

Rule will cause feuds         

May 2023 

I can verify thousands of Campbelltown Council residents have desexed former unowned cats, which they now have taken responsibility for, and their own cats.
As well, we have the veterinary records of the desexing to prove this from CATS’ (Cats Assistance to Sterilise) low-priced desexing scheme.
There are also many disabled and elderly residents who cannot possibly bring these cats inside or keep them in enclosures, and fear they will now be trapped, injured and killed.
This cat bylaw has caused enormous stress and anxiety, but council does not want to know.
Instead of improving relations between neighbours, it is going to create feuds.

Imagine living next door to someone who trapped your beloved cat!

Christine Pierson, president CATS Cats Assistance to Sterilise 

Cat lovers complain

May 2023
Thank you to the Campbelltown Cat Management and Welfare Group for outlining our devastation at cat bylaws that Campbelltown Council have announced.
Many of us did sign petitions and sent in submissions against the council cat bylaw, which were ignored.
What will happen to those of us who have desexed unowned cats and are now caring for them when the council will restrict us to two per household? They haven’t thought this through at all.
Our elderly, disabled and disadvantaged cannot comply with the impossible conditions and are fearful of the consequences.
How can they do this when the motion to disallow is still going through Parliament?
Lisa Roberts

Cats and dogs

May 2023 
Full marks to Janet Allan and also Councillor Therese Britton-La Salle, for their advice on the dangers of walking cats on leads.
They may well have saved many people from serious injuries.
This is another problem the cat supporters are concerned about regarding the dissemination of incorrect information about cats and which the government and councils need to address.
The Review of the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 is fraught with incorrect information and shows a lack of both understanding and experience in cat management.
Cats are not dogs and cannot be managed like dogs, and those writing the laws are making disastrous mistakes.
James M. Richardson,

Cat lovers object

May 2023 
We are the ones devastated by the we have spent three decades working with the previous Campbelltown Council’s wonderful cat management program, desexing all our cats, both our own and unowned. 

Between our community, council and Cats Assistance To Sterilise (CATS), we have organised more than 6000 cats desexing and together have got most of the cat-related problems reduced to a minimum. 

Our success was such that we were next to have free cat desexing like our neighbour Norwood Payneham and St Peters Council through CATS.
We are heartbroken that this has all been scrapped because this cat bylaw is to be imposed by a different mayor and councillors.
Even if CATS helps desex, we can’t cope with registration fees, fines of $312.50 if our cat trespasses and limits of only two, or expensive cat run.
We are upset and some are physically ill with fear that our beloved cats will be trapped and killed.
We beg the new mayor and councillors to stop this cruelty to us and our cats.
Peter Benson, spokesman, Campbelltown Cat Management and Welfare Group 

Peter Benson, spokesman, Campbelltown Cat Management and Welfare Group 

Pet fury

May 2023
The war against Campbelltown City Council heated to a boiling point when the conditions of the Cats By-Law 2022 appeared on the council’s Facebook page.
Such was the abuse and colourful language that the posts were removed and the site was closed for comments with a warning posted.
Most residents know nothing of the impossible conditions being unleashed upon them in two weeks, as most of the bylaw groundwork occurred while the council chamber was closed during the pandemic, and people were urged to stay home.
Residents here have worked hard for decades to achieve a high standard of cat care with high desexing rates, and there was no excuse for their success to be undermined by this unfair treatment of their beloved cats.
They have paid to desex the cats, both their own and unowned cats, feed and care for them, and now many have multiple cats and will be forced to apply to even keep them.
Also they will be charged registration fees for the cats if council finds their names from microchips, and fines of $312.50 if the cats trespass.
Geraldene Hannah

No restraining cats 

May 2023
Councillor Therese Britton La-Salle is correct. Taking cats on leads is “ludicrous” and it is very dangerous for both the cats and the walkers.
The RSPCA has stated that when cats get frightened they head for something high, so when restrained on a lead they climb up the person holding the lead.
As the walker’s head is the highest point, this risks blinding and severe injuries, particularly to the face.
Cats are also at risk as they cannot get away and, if the lead is dropped it can catch an obstacle, preventing escape from an attacker.
Councillors pushing this crazy cat bylaw obviously have no experience with cats and are trying to legislate for something which is unworkable and unacceptable.
The only solution that has proved to be successful in reducing cat numbers is desexing and returning cats to their home territory to keep undesexed cats at bay.
Janet Allan

Cats not dogs

May 2022

The letter opposing the push for cat confinement bylaws raises some issues which urgently need to be addressed, as some councils are recommending dangerous practices.
Including conditions that cats need to be walked on leashes or harnesses is encouraging extreme risk-taking, not only for the cats but the person holding the leash.
I quote from the RSPCA statement: “in general the RSPCA does not recommend it. When alarmed, cats typically attempt to hide somewhere or to escape by climbing whatever is available, such as a tree or even up on to their owner. Most cats like to be in control – therefore, new environments can cause stress and agitation.”
Do we have to wait until a child is badly injured from this dangerous activity before we acknowledge that cats are not dogs and cannot be managed like dogs?
G. Hannah

Cats control

May 2022
Reading “Farmers on mice alert”, what else should we expect? When the federal government threat abatement plan claims to have slaughtered 1.5 million cats and our state government and councils are forcing the confinement of cats, of course the mice and rats will be breeding to plague proportions.
I am an older person so I am well aware that in the old days when free-living cats controlled the rodents there was a natural balance between animals and we did not have major rodent plagues like we do now.
Since many of the younger generation have destabilised the ecosystem by removing cats, the best rodent controllers known to man, these plagues are increasing.
Instead, farmers are advised to be proactive to stop another disaster this year, which means laying poison baits.
How many of these lawmakers have studied the massive amount of wildlife that has died as a result of rat and mouse baiting.
It is time that this poisoning of our native animals, as well as people’s pets is exposed and sanity returned, with allowing free-living cats to do their job of rodent control a much safer option.
Albert Peters

Free felines

May 2022
Why is Alexandrina Council following Mt Barker and Adelaide Hills councils, where cat laws have already failed?

Firstly, if the cat bylaw had worked, with owned cats confined, why has Mt Barker Council had 400 complaints?

If the cat bylaw saved native wildlife, how is it that Mt Barker now has a massive rat plague with widespread baiting killing native wildlife?

Alexandrina Council’s vote was not unanimous so Councillor Bill Coomans had done his homework, stating, as cats are territorial, confining them in any manner means that other cats take up the vacant space, so indigenous wildlife won’t be protected.
Thank goodness I live in a sane council where we desex our cats, which control rats.
Carol James

World Spay Day

February 2022

February 22nd is World Spay Day, sterilization and population control is the answer for pet health as it reduces the risk of testicular, ovarian and mammary cancers and prolongs lives. There is a desperate need to stop animal farms and backyard breeding of animals with poor health outcomes, both physical and emotional, by people who put profit before animal welfare. For so many people pets are family members and essential to their quality of life.

Diane Cornelius

Destructive

January 2022
Environment and Water Minister David Speirs has announced a duck and quail hunting season in 2022 – three months of wanton destruction of seven targeted species in our wetlands.
Has David Speirs ever held a native duck? They are deceptively light, really just skin, light bones, and feathers, designed to fly long distances.
Has the minister ever stood observantly on the shores of wetlands like Lake George at dawn or dusk, felt entranced at the sight of peaceful water birds gathered in the distance, been immersed in the stillness and beauty of the scene? Has he ever felt awe and love for such a deep experience of nature? Has he ever handled a dead duck with evidence of wounding from shooting and asked why?
Simone Hunter

Cruel world

January 2022
Hansard of November 17, 2021, records Rob Lucas, on behalf of the Liberals, voted for cat bylaws allowing tethering of cats by a 2m-chain to a fixed object, meaning chaining cats to a post, as part of its hype to “save native wildlife”. Fortunately, these cruel bylaws were disallowed as they were opposed by SA-Best, Labor and the Greens.
This same Liberal government has announced another duck hunting season for 2022 to slaughter and maim tens of thousands of native ducks.
How can anyone justify confining and persecuting little cats when these appalling massacres of our native wildlife are being sanctioned by the same politicians? Peter Benson, Campbelltown Cat Management and Welfare Group, Hectorville

Such cruelty

January 2022
I hope the perpetrator who dumped the innocent kittens on Bolivar Rd to be killed, is found and punished.
Sadly we have massive cruelty in Australia, such as duck shooting, greyhound and jumps racing, and rodeos for entertainment.
We raise billions of farmed animals to be slaughtered unnecessarily for food. We use animals for medical testing, vaccines, and industrial toxicity experimentation. All these things are legal and just the tip of the iceberg.
Eric Phillips

Desex your cat

January 2022
Why do we only seem to hear about South Australian councils that have cat bylaws (“24-hour cat curfew alert”)? My council of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters has never had a cat bylaw but helps residents through a partnership with Cats Assistance To Sterilise to get every possible cat in the district desexed and cared for.
This has been so successful cat confinement is not required.
CATS is constantly desexing intruder cats in the suburbs adjoining Adelaide Hills Council, 30 at a time, as they cross the boundary.
This has been effective cat management.
G. Hannah
Why do we only seem to hear about South Australian councils that have cat bylaws (“24-hour cat curfew alert”)? My council of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters has never had a cat bylaw but helps residents through a partnership with Cats Assistance To Sterilise to get every possible cat in the district desexed and cared for.
This has been so successful cat confinement is not required.
CATS is constantly desexing intruder cats in the suburbs adjoining Adelaide Hills Council, 30 at a time, as they cross the boundary.
This has been effective cat management.
G. Hannah

Rodent nuisance

December 2021
If Philip Stott is genuinely concerned about cats, then he should be supporting Christine Pierson to keep people out of animal parks and away from our precious drinking water (“Feral killers”).
Humans pollute and leave rubbish wherever they go.
And picnics inevitably leave behind food scraps that attract rats and mice.
The food scraps and the rodents, in turn, attract cats.
Park rangers then lay baits for the cats and the rodents.
And so the problem escalates.
We need to keep our animal refuges and reservoirs free of people.

John Markham

Cruelty to cats

December 2021
In response to Alan Moskwa, it appals me that anyone can take the life of a kitten, cat or any living creature without so much as a pang of conscience.
Let alone then cut it open to see the stomach contents.
Stomach contents, if you must examine them, need to be divided between roadkill, the remainders of the catch of another animal and that which is self-caught for food. This is impossible to determine. Lisa Roberts

Hiding prey

November 2021

Many years ago, I began studying natural animal behaviour, particularly the relationship between cats and other creatures. Kingsley, of Murray Bridge, blames feral cats for killing other animals.
The fact that Kingsley is finding the remains of wildlife every morning may prove feral cats were not responsible in these cases, as cats in the wild hide their prey where Kingsley would not find it.
Kingsley’s mistake is frequently made, but finding remains of wildlife in the open may be due to attacks by birds of prey.
These birds can strip the feathers and unwanted parts and fly away with the edible carcass.
Spencer Morgan

Cat lockdown

October 2021

“Why are those making these laws ignoring this cruelty?”

There is absolutely no scientific evidence anywhere to prove that confining cats is “saving native wildlife”, or that it is reducing cat numbers or problems.

Furthermore, cats are not safe shut in houses and cat-runs.

The nightly News frequently reports cats, unable to escape, are perishing in house fires.

Cats are being injured in household accidents with cooking appliances, hot water, chemicals, drowning in baths, spraying in power points, being trodden on; the list goes on.

Cats have sensitive hearing; imagine how they suffer, never able to get away from loud music, TVs blaring, children shouting and people arguing.

And what about domestic violence, where cats are used as weapons to hurt partners, but there is no escape.

Free-living cats are safer and happier than confined cats, and they are much healthier.

It is time we stopped believing the lies that we have been told, and realised the cruelty we are inflicting on the pets we are supposed to love.

It is time to let cats out of lockdown.

James M. Richardson

Cat cruel

July 2021
“Shocking video of horrific act on kitten” is just another of the increasing list of cruelties being inflicted on felines that should face the full force of the law. The perpetrator should go to jail for four years.
I blame our governments for this increase in cruelty.
It has escalated since the introduction of the current cat legislation.
Cat numbers have increased as most people have stopped desexing cats because of mandatory microchipping.
When is this ill-conceived law going to be changed state Environment Minister David Speirs?

Let’s get back to desexing en masse again.
Christine Pierson

Cruel for cats

March 2021

We were truly horrified by the photo and article regarding the proposed killings to control cats (“ Let us shoot these cats!”) This is stupid, inefficient and encourages cruelty.
I am sure the majority of people would have been disgusted by the man proposing this, Bill Lewis. Many Australians own a cat and many more just like cats.
Helen Wright and Barbara Stoneman

Cat assets

February 2021
Responding to “Cats on the prowl”, cats like Chester are an asset to the community.
Chester is a former stray and, as such, he has learnt how to look after himself and protect his territory.
By having a desexed cat like Chester patrolling his garden, he will lower the ratio of cats per given area by preventing new cats that are not desexed from infiltrating and breeding.
The best way to explain this in layman terms is it is like having an elderly gentleman living in a property and it remains a one-person area. But if the gentleman moves out and a young couple with children moves in, four or more people then reside in the same area.
Taking a one-case scenario like Chester and multiplying it on a large scale of thousands of desexed cats holding territories, it can be seen the cat population is lowered.
JAMES M. RICHARDSON

Cat compassion

February 2021

Now we have “Machines to kill cats”.
Our human species has already caused the demise of native wildlife through its massive habitat clearance, woodchipping, mining, pollution of the environment and poisoning of the waterways.
So now it wants to kill even more animals.
Two wrongs don’t make a right, and killing will not solve the proliferation of feral animals in Australia.
This poisoning via the Felixer, from what I researched, uses the dangerous 1080 poison.
It also endangers native animals, as mistakes have been made in the past.
This killing mania is coming from the Federal Government’s threat-abatement plan for feral cats, which is killing two million cats.
G. HANNAH

Cat law quashed

August 2020

Reading “Catfight as bylaw astray” (The Advertiser, Friday ), I am pleased to see that the Legislative Review Committee and Environment Minister David Speirs have quashed this ill-conceived and cruel cat-curfew bylaw.
This proposed bylaw has caused great concern, stress and anxiety for cat owners and carers, particularly the older members of our community and the disabled.
Cats are not dogs and cannot be controlled like dogs.
Cats are independent animals, and this is one main reason why they are chosen as companions by those who cannot physically exercise dogs.
We cannot have our senior citizens stumbling about in the dark trying to get wayward cats to comply with the curfew or live in fear that their beloved pet will be trapped and killed.
Also, confined cats require considerable work to change litter trays and keep the house clean.
 This is impossible for those in a wheelchair.
Cat bylaws have never proved to be successful in any case. They simply make matters worse.
B.B. Foster

Trapping cruel

August 2020

The column by Dean Jaensch misses the point about the proposed Marion Council cat curfew bylaw.
State Parliament was correct to veto the bylaw, which promoted the cruel use of cat-trapping cages because it potentially contravened the Animal Welfare Act, a state law.
The RSPCA has stated that it has seen “horrendous conditions” forced upon cats in these traps, and these cages should not be provided to the public.
It is well known that self-confessed cat-haters are using these traps to hurt cats and this would have happened if Parliament had passed the controversial bylaw.
Cruelty to animals is punishable by law, with penalties of up to four years in jail and $50,000 in fines.
Christine Pierson

Cat numbers rise

December 2019
There's a massive increase of “35 per cent in two years” of cats and kittens (“ Have yourself a meowy little Christmas"). It’s the RSPCA’s highest number on record of felines in care and an even higher percentage of cats out in the community. This is all caused by the State Government’s failed cat legislation, forcing mandatory microchipping.
Before this legislation, virtually tens of thousands of cats were being desexed through Cats Assistance To Sterilise desex-and-return-to-home program. Since this legislation, these requests for desexing have dropped to below half, leaving thousands of cats out in the community not desexed and breeding.
There is none so blind as a politician who doesn’t want to see but are they deaf as well? Can they hear the cries of the hungry mother cats begging for help to feed their starving kittens, which would never have been born if she had been desexed?
James M. Richardson

Let cats go free

November 2019
Reading “cat desexing works,” we certainly agree.
However, returning the cats to their home is also necessary as, without these fed and managed cats holding their territory against intruder cats, more cats infiltrate and breed to excess.
That is why confinement does not work.
The methods pioneered and proved in South Australia by Cats Assistance To Sterilise with “desex and return to home” over the past 30 years, and used by several councils, including us at Tea Tree Gully, have reduced the number of cats arriving at the shelters.
It is good to see that the RSPCA and Animal Welfare League are finally adopting the CATS policy.
Helen Wright, Barbara Stoneman Cat Support Group of SA co-chairwomen

Microchip blame

October 2109
Reading “State’s cat laws are a dog’s breakfast” I note “cat management in South Australia is not only ineffective , it is unsustainable” . And it always will be if compulsory microchipping and registration on Dog And Cat Online is not rescinded.
Before the new laws started in July 2018, many hundreds of residents desexed semi-owned and unowned cats through Cats Assistance To Sterilise. This is a low cost desexing scheme with the help of 60 dedicated vets who donate time at minimal rates.
These desexing numbers have now plummeted as these compassionate residents acting independently won’t or can’t have their details on DACO, identifying them as the cat’s owners. When CATS began desexing all cats, not just owned pets, records show the cats destroyed at Animal Welfare League dropped to half, by prevention of breeding.
The public, in overwhelming numbers, have shown they want to help these cats and kittens when not faced with desexing fees and prohibitive laws. The RSPCA and AWL do not help with public desexing costs in South Australia.

Lisa Roberts

Feline Frontier

September 2019

I write on behalf of the Cat Protection Society of SA Inc regarding the story titled, "Authorities yet to finalise feline frontier." 

Clearly the Mt Barker Council staff and elected members have little expertise in cat management or they would not have placed 

their rate-payers and residents in such a precarious position.

To restrict a farmer to having two cats is unreasonable and this kind of thinking is rife throughout the whole By-Law.

In a Council district as widespread and diverse as Mt Barker, there is no way that the Cat-Law could be policed ... and even if it were,

it would not reduce cat numbers or problems.

The RSPCA refuses to provide trapping cages, stating that it has seen "horrendous conditions forced upon cats" and says the traps should nor be given to the public.

Scientific evidence now proves that trapping and removing cats increases their number as new cats move into the vacuum and breed. 

The only way to reduce cat numbers is by prevention of breeding and yet there is nothing in the By-Law to assist with desexing.

The Mitcham Council has failed miserably as, after nine years of imposed cat registration, only a fraction of its cats are registered and desexing has decreased with the breeding of kittens escalating.

Less than 10% of the estimated 250,000 cats in SA households are registered on Dog and Cat Online which is free.

The Mitcham Council only registered about 30% of its estimated cat numbers after nine years so how does Mt Barker Council expect to do any better?

The answer to long term cat control is to desex them now.

Kate Clayton

Cruel cat cages

September 2019

The RSPCA’s comments in “Support for cat curfews” clearly illustrates how cruel these cat-trapping cages are. No cages should ever be left in the hands of people who are trying to remove and get rid of cats.

I help to reduce the cat population by catching cats, desexing them and returning them to homes.

This is the only reason that cat traps can be justified. The cages have to be constantly watched, so I camp in my car with pillows and blankets.

As soon as the cat is caught, the cage is covered, except for an air space, and taken to a safe, quiet place for the vet to desex it. There is no way these cages can be provided to the general public. By allowing it, Marion Council, in this case, would be a threat to every cat in its district.

B.B. Foster

Humans top wild list

August 2019
Oh, how pretentious are we.
Let’s blame all the destruction of wild animals on cats and foxes. Too easy. How many thousands of hectares a day of land are we flattening for more houses and more people? And that doesn’t hurt wildlife?
It’s hidden under “loss of habitat” . How convenient. I think we humans top the list for endangering wildlife.
V. Veale

Misinformed

August 2019
John Read (Natural born killers) is incorrect. 1080 poison is banned in many countries because of the prolonged suffering of the baited animal. There are videos of these agonising deaths. John doesn’t mention secondary poisoning of the foraging raptors (hence the marked decline of wedge-tailed eagles in the Flinders Ranges). There is also toxic seepage from the cadavers into ground water. Without feral cats, rabbit populations will increase.
Humans are green, blue, brown-eyed “monsters” , destroying habitat with accompanying loss of species.
Alice Shore

Misinformed

August 2019

John Read (Natural born killers) is incorrect. 1080 poison is banned in many countries because of the prolonged suffering of the baited animal. There are videos of these agonising deaths. John doesn’t mention secondary poisoning of the foraging raptors (hence the marked decline of wedge-tailed eagles in the Flinders Ranges). There is also toxic seepage from the cadavers into ground water. Without feral cats, rabbit populations will increase.
Humans are green, blue, brown-eyed “monsters” , destroying habitat with accompanying loss of species.
Alice Shore

Carnivore cats

August 2019

Why would cats naturally eat meat and want to eat meat if they were made to be vegan?
Being a vegetarian is my choice.
But I have no right to force a carnivore to a life devoid of its natural food. Free-range cats will catch their own food so depriving them of meat is not the answer.
Confining cats to prevent this is cruel.
The Murdoch University can have an opinion but, as one who has studied cats and their diet for decades, I do not agree with its results.
I prefer to listen to the cats, who know they need fresh meat with some canned added, and make this clear.
The best way to address this conundrum is to prevent the breeding of cats by humane desexing.
G. Hannah

Wrong on cats

August 2019

The letter natural born killers contains numerous incorrect statements and is devoid of scientific proof to substantiate claims made.
1080 is a deadly poison which causes a slow, agonising death, and is banned in most countries including the US. For John Read to say “cats just go to sleep” is absurd.
Toxoplasmosis is not transferred to humans by the handling of cats. Human infection via cats is only through handling faeces that has been passed by the cat more than two days earlier and ingesting the organism. Simply wash hands.
Finally, the most important foundation for a successful cat management control program has to be based on the Vacuum Effect. Confinement, removal and killing of cats simply results in new cats recolonising and breeding to restore, usually increasing original numbers, achieving nothing constructive.
Christine Pierson, President, C.A.T.S. Cats Assistance To Sterilise Inc

Let cats roam

August 2019

Vegans, enough is enough (“ Cats can go vegan”).
What is the world coming to when free-range animals like cats are imprisoned behind closed doors, kept in solitary confinement in cages and deprived of their natural diet of meat? This is wrong – cats are obligate carnivores.
When will this cruelty end?
True animal-rights supporters don’t treat their cats this way.
If you can’t provide for the needs of cats don’t get them.
Su Tillet

Cats on patrol

August 2019
Well stated Su Tillett (“ Let cats roam”).
Depriving cats of their freedom and natural diet of meat is not the way for true animalrights supporters.
Furthermore, without cats patrolling, indisputable evidence shows rodents breed to excess.
Increases in rats and mice have already been reported, resulting in laying rat baits, which have killed native wildlife and poisoned the environment .
Christine Pierson

No vegan cats

August 2019

Yes, “Vegan pet food a danger, vets warn cat owners." As a vegetarian animal rights activist, I face this dilemma every day.
Cats are not omnivorous like humans, they are carnivorous and as such require fresh meat.
Confining cats in houses and enclosures and depriving them of their natural food is cruel and causes serious physiological and psychological harm.
Depriving free-range cats of meat simply encourages them to catch their own, so feeding fresh raw meat significantly decreases hunting (except rats and mice, their favourite prey)
Vegans should think carefully before getting cats. The best solution is to have as many cats desexed as possible.
Christine Pierson, President, Cats Assistance To Sterilise

Act on cat model

July 2019
Now we finally have a “working cat model” proven to reduce cat numbers and cat-related problems, why is it the State Government is not using this template for councils to follow? 
The partnership between Norwood, Payneham and St Peters Council and Cat Assistance To Sterilise is the only successful cat-management program in the state. 
Alice Shore

Cats here to stay

 July 2019
Australia will never be cat free unless climate change or a meteor wipes them out. 
So making statements like “Cats don’t belong” are a waste of valuable letter space. Trying to eradicate cats by killing, removing and confining them can be compared with the World War  Masses of our people were killed, captured and badly wounded and this was followed by a huge surge in our population, resulting in the Baby Boomers. 
The same scenario occurs when cats are killed, confined and badly wounded. The breeding rate increases, as scientific studies have proven. 
This happens because big cats are prevented from holding their large territories so multiple numbers of younger cats, more sexually active, recolonise the space which is left, and breed. So we have cat Baby Boomers. 
The only method which reduces cats to a minimum and controls numbers is humane sterilisation, which was acceptable and well supported by the wider community, until the state government cat legislation was imposed last year, leading to a huge decrease in desexing and a massive increase in cat numbers.

G Hannah

Cat laws no success 

July 2019
I fail to see the logic in “Fewer strays at shelters” and the inference that this is good and a success of the government cat legislation. 
This is just the opposite for cats, especially strays. It is obvious from the massive numbers of kittens born during the year, due to cat carers being prevented from desexing cats, that there are more cats. 
With councils such as Charles Sturt and Marion with two-cat limits charging a $50 and $35 fee respectively just to apply for a permit for a third cat (including a property inspection), how many people are going to rescue and adopt another cat and register it on Dog And Cat Online? Or take it to a shelter where they have to give a name and address? 
DACO has ruined the mass desexing program which made Adelaide our top cat-desexing and management capital. 
How many un-desexed cats are now being dumped instead of being taken to the shelters? 
This is not success. 
Carol Patricia James 

Stop breeding

July 2019

Reading about the multimillion-dollar complex being built by the Animal Welfare League from donations and wills (“A brand new era for animal care takes off”), I wonder how much is going to be spent on helping the public desex cats, especially strays.

Desexing is one of the most important necessities to humanely reduce the numbers of cats being destroyed and cat related problems, and yet the AWL does not assist the public by doing this.

My heart goes out to those dedicated volunteers at Cats Assistance To Sterilise, who never ask or beg for money, and use their own personal properties as offices and cat convalescing homes, and have done so for over 30 years.

My furry felines are some of the 120,000 cats that CATS has assisted with desexing, and when I sent them a little donation as a “thank you”, they were just so grateful.

I’d rather the money was spent on stopping the cats from breeding so that they wouldn’t end up at shelters in the first place. Only relatively few cats will ever get the benefit of this five-star accommodation.

G Hannah

Don’t buy into animal cruelty

July 2019

Should animal cruelty be determined by the pain inflicted on an animal or by the species of the animal? Obviously it should be determined by the pain inflicted. But, unfortunately, this is not the case in our society.

In “Cat thrown out of car," we read that a man who threw a kitten from a car, killing it, was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.

Yet, in the name of food, it is perfectly acceptable to drop baby chicks into mincing machines, burn out the horn buds of calves and cut off the tails and testicles of baby pigs with no pain relief.

If any of the above atrocities were inflicted on a “pet” animal, I’m sure the majority of us would be outraged.

But, because the victims of these abuses are viewed as “food” animals, we not only ignore it but we contribute to it. Every time we purchase animal products with our consumer dollars, we are saying, in effect, please use my money to continue inflicting this abuse on animals.

Is this fair?

Jenny Moxham

Working cat model

June 2019 

I live in Norwood, Payneham and St Peters Council where we have never had any cat laws. 
My council works in partnership with Cats Assistance To Sterilise and concentrates on desexing every cat they can find. 
The more desexed cats, the fewer un-desexed cats can infiltrate. So, cat numbers and problems have decreased to the minimum in many areas around me. The council stated, when preparing its latest animal-management plan, that “confinement is not considered to be a major issue throughout the City as the council does not experience significant problems with cats. No catrelated complaints were registered by Council during the 2016-17 financial year” . 
Reading “Council’s pet cat kill threat", I thought Gawler Council might like to contact either this council or CATS for some constructive free advice. 
We have masses of wildlife in our council and the stable ecosystem between the native animals and the cats has been a remarkable success. 
G. Hannah

Endearing felines 

June 2019
“Council's pet cat kill threat” shows the hatred that has been promoted by our governments, and now the councils, towards these little animals which have been so endearing to humans for so long. 
No animals deserve this kind of ill-conceived persecution and cruelty. 
The Gawler Council has taken an even further step than some other despicable local government bodies by planning to kill not only unidentified cats but also identified pet cats. 
It is long past time that this unsubstantiated mania to blame cats for the demise of native fauna is corrected. 
The demise is caused by our governments’ destruction of the environment through infill, mining, wood logging, coal mining and agriculture for meat production. 
The proposals by Gawler councillors are a disgrace and should be condemned. 
Janet Allan

Cat law crisis 

June 2019
“Pick up a purr-fect pet from the RSPCA  shows how terrible the situation, caused by the State Government cat legislation, has become. 
The RSPCA is giving away cats as they have 500 in care – the most in their memory. 
After 12 months of these cat laws, this year is the worst for three decades. 
Mass cat desexing has dropped to a trickle, with owners and carers refusing to desex and microchip if their names and details are registered on the government data base, DACO. 
Also, the RSPCA states “it costs them more than $1000 per cat to vaccinate microchip, desex, provide veterinary care and rehome.”
It is far more practical, efficient and cost effective for residents to adopt stray cats that come into their garden, feed and care for them and get them desexed through the Cats Assistance To Sterilise Scheme. 
Top vets donate their time to CATS for needy cats at $91-50 per female cat and $65 per male cat. 
With only 11,000 cats registered on DACO, last we checked, out of an estimated 250,000, according to the Dog and Cat Management Board, it is clear DACO has failed. 
Kate Clayton, Cat Protection Society SA president 

Kitten conundrum 

April 2019
From my research, it is obvious that “Microchipping, changes a real win for animal welfare” (The Advertiser, yesterday ) reflects exactly the opposite of what has happened for cats. 
All of the shelters are full, the cat and kitten foster carers are overloaded and people are complaining that they can’t even give their kittens away because there are so many that have been born since the new cat legislation. 
There is a warning on Gumtree regarding the dangers of illegal use of kittens for greyhound baiting and that this is still the case. 
Kittens are being dumped and left to die. 
Unless these laws are changed, SA will no longer be seen as the leading state in cat management as has been the case for decades, with Adelaide having the highest number of desexed cats in the country. 
How could it possibly be an advantage to make people microchip, desex and register on DACO (Dogs and Cats Online) when it prevents people from desexing? 
Carol Patricia James

Breeding disaster

March 2019

Why is it that our government has to wait until we are in a crisis mode and facing a catastrophe before it does anything about it? I am responding to the letters “Put off by online” and “We need a review.”  The cats are breeding everywhere, and the comparatively few arriving at the shelters are only a small sample.

The Dog and Cat Management Board “considers that it is too soon to draw any conclusions about the impacts” of the legislation, but the cat organisations working in the community with desexing already have the evidence and the figures to show that there are now more than 3000 more undesexed cats in the community because of these ill-conceived laws. These cats are now breeding, and in another six months there will be thousands more.

The RSPCA, which only receives a fraction of the overall cats, has said that it already has nearly double the number of felines than at this time last year. Requests for desexing have dropped to below half of what they have been for 30 years. This is a disaster in the making.

Why wait until it is too late before acting, Minister David Speirs?

 Janet Allan

Take felines offline

February 2019

It's good to see Health Minister Stephen Wade pronouncing “EPAS is dead”. Over one million people opted out of My-Health Record. This unsafe electronic processing system risked the lives of humans.

Now we want to see Environment and Water Minister David Speirs pronouncing “DACO is dead”.

DACO is Dog And Cat Online, and this government database is risking the lives of animals.

Already, we have seen the failure of EPAS, which is being scrapped and reviewed, so now that we have seen the failure of DACO, we want this scrapped and reviewed as well.

G. Hannah

Cat woes

February 2019

WHY is it that our government has to wait until we are in a crisis mode and facing a catastrophe before it does anything about it?

Cats are breeding everywhere, and the comparatively few arriving at the shelters are only a small sample.

The Dog and Cat Management Board “considers that it is too soon to draw any conclusions about the impacts” of the legislation, but the cat organisations working in the community with desexing already have the evidence and the figures to show that there are now over three thousand more undesexed cats in the community, because of these ill-conceived laws.

These cats are now breeding, and in another six months there will be thousands more of them.

The RSPCA, which only receives a fraction of the overall cats, has said that they already have nearly double the number of felines than at this time last year.

Requests for desexing have dropped to below half of what they have been for 30 years.   This is a disaster in the making.

Why wait until it is too late before acting, Minister David Speirs?

Janet Allan

We need a review

February 2019

I agree with “Cat laws” that this legislation has failed, and that we need to be asking the government to review and rewrite Dog And Cat Online immediately, before we are inundated with even more unwanted kittens.

Although I consider that all cats should be assisted with desexing (with the exception of sick or very elderly males), I am also very concerned that this force for desexing is dangerous for older animals, particularly male dogs, where is it actually arguable that old male dogs should be desexed at all.

Desexing obviously requires anaesthetic for the operation, which puts a strain on the kidneys, (a big strain for older animals).

The laws say that owners can apply for an exemption, but why should this be required when it costs big money for a consultation at a vet surgery?

This money should be much better spent for necessary veterinary treatment.

These decisions, however, should be left up to the owners and carers to decide, not a cruel and inadequate government that has virtually no consideration for animals, as we have seen by its promotion of duck hunting, horse racing, greyhound racing and allowing horrendous bow hunting and shotgun wounding.

G. Hannah

Put off by online

February 2019

Following on from the letter “Cat laws” (Messenger Community News, January 30), more needs to be said about the dangers of Dog And Cat Online (DACO).

More than one million people opted out of EPAS (My-Health Record), which has now been scrapped and is to be “fundamentally reconstructed” as it was dangerous and a risk to humans.

The same now needs to be done with DACO, which is risking the lives and welfare of animals.

Many animals, in particular cats, are timid and terrified of strangers, and would require sedation/anaesthetic to be able to insert the microchip.

These animals should not be subjected to this abuse, and anaesthetics should only be used for genuine reasons, not for microchipping.

Unless such animals are undergoing a necessary operation requiring anaesthetic, such as for desexing, then it is cruel and against civil liberties to force owners/carers to insert microchips in these timid creatures. Please remember to ask your vet for an exemption if you are pressed to risk your cat or dog under these circumstances.

Cats Assistance To Sterilise strongly opposes making microchipping compulsory, and considers it appalling that this is being forced on tiny three month-old kittens.

Microchipping should be a choice, not a law.

Christine Pierson

President, Cats Assistance To Sterilise

Law up to scratch? 

January 2019
Reading “Too many cats," we certainly agree with G. Hannah, that the new mandatory cat laws have prevented virtually thousands of cats from being desexed. 
Reports have been coming in from cat-sterilising institutions including the main notfor-profit cat-desexing organisation Cats Assistance to Sterilise Incorporated, informing us that since July 1, 2018 – when the new laws came into operation – that cat desexing requests are currently minimal compared with the figures for the previous 30 years. 
The kittens now arriving at the RSPCA are the direct result of these non-desexed cats that have bred – cats that before the new legislation would have been sterilised. 
This new mandatory cat desexing legislation is a disastrous failure and must be quickly remedied. 
Barbara Stoneman & Helen Wright, co-chairs , Cat Support Group of SA, Redwood Park 

Laws chipping away

December 2018

Regarding Christine Pierson’s letter “Dumped on by laws” (Messenger Community News, November 21), we also knew what would happen if microchipping and desexing were made compulsory.

We were one of the many organisations and individuals who sent submissions to former Labor Environment Minister Ian Hunter pleading with him not to introduce these counterproductive laws. Our information and advice, like that of our colleagues, was ignored and excluded.

The Cat Supporters Group of SA commissioned research from the eastern states regarding this use of force to try to make cat owners microchip cats, and the feedback was clear: it did not work, and led to an “unwanted population explosion of cats and kittens”.

Given that Cats Assistance To Sterilise organises more cat desexings for the public than anyone else in South Australia, its huge drop in requests for desexing referrals clearly illustrates the fact that this legislation has failed, and the results will quickly be devastating and tragic.

We now have a new government and a new Environment Minister, David Speirs, so we desperately need his assistance to change these regulations.

Mr Speirs needs to do this before SA loses its status as having the highest rate of desexed cats in the country and the best record for successful cat management.

Helen Wright and Barbara Stoneman

Co-Chairs, Cat Supporters Group of SA

Disaster in making

December 2018

Regarding the letter “Dumped on by laws” it was obvious what was going to happen with the desexing of cats, as we have already seen the disastrous effects of state-wide cat legislation in research papers from the other Australian states.

Queensland has already repealed its cat management laws citing that they were ineffective and costly for local government. In Victoria and NSW the forced microchipping has resulted in massive numbers of cats and kittens being destroyed and made it very difficult for rescue organisations to get cats desexed at all.

In SA it is even worse now, as we have mandatory desexing (no other state has this) and this requires having owners’/carers’ names and addresses and private details on the government Dog And Cat Online.

If Minister David Speirs doesn’t soon do something to rectify this disaster, there will soon be a million kittens and cats that will opt out of DACO.

The result will be thousands more cats and kittens destroyed at the shelters and suffering in the community. This is directly the opposite to what the Amendments to the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 were supposed to achieve.

We knew these amendments were a disaster in the making but former Labor Minister for Environment, Ian Hunter, ignored our submissions.

G.Hannah

 Breeding contempt

December 2018

Reading “Dumped on by laws”  I agree with the Cats Assistance To Sterilise re the huge drop in desexing of cats since July 1.

We were one of the many organisations that sent submissions to the former Labor Government, knowing that forcing people by law to microchip and desexed cats would be ignored by many and not end well. Unfortunately we were ignored.

After 22 weeks the proof is already emerging and, as Christine Pierson says, desexing through the CATS scheme has dropped to below half of what it has been for the last 30 years.

Given that CATS takes referrals from everywhere, including the Cat Protection Society of SA Inc, those receiving these calls would be in the best position to know what has happened in the community since July 1.

This legislation was a Labor Party blunder, so now it is up to the Liberals to correct it. What is Minister David Speirs planning to do about it?

Kate  Clayton  President, Cat Protection Society of SA

Dumped on by laws

November 2018 

Reading “Puppy love on council’s agenda” the appalling case of puppies being dumped in a box is exactly what Cats Assistance To Sterilise predicted would happen.

The evidence from other states - after legislation imposed after July 1 - clearly shows that dumping and cruelty follows such laws.

C.A.T.S. records prove that the number of requests for desexing of cats has fallen to below half the number of requests during the previous three decades.

Our estimates show that there would now be more than a thousand more undesexed cats and subsequent kittens out in the community because cats have not been desexed due to forcing owners to have their details on Dog And Cat Online.

Many people do not want their private details on government data bases, illustrated by over a million citizens who have opted out of the Federal Government’s MyHealth Record. 

Humans are allowed to opt out of being registered for MyHealth Record, so why not for DACO so we can get back to desexing the cats again en masse?

There are fines of $50,000 and jail terms of 4 years for dumping animals, but assistance with desexing is the main solution to reducing cruelty, not government force.

 Christine Pierson

Introducing cats

November 2018

Barrie Edwards' letter in the Advertiser Nov 7th,"Free the cats," highlights his desire to have no cats in Australia because they are an introduced species.

Extrapolating from this, John McArthur, in the first fleet in 1788, should not have introduced cattle and sheep, as our country has been ecologically devastated by intensive animal farming methods since. Yet, carnivores would disagree with this, Mr Edwards.

It is not the animals' fault that they were brought to our country. So many people would be very unhappy if the could not have a cat as a beautiful companion. But all cats must be desexed and the way to achieve that is through education not legislation. So many people do not want their details as public knowledge so will forgo sterilisation of free-ranging cats they feed, but don't own, because of it. This is a retrograde government step.

Diane Cornelius

Best wishes

October 2018

Peter Spalding's letter probably reflects the troubled feelings of many kind people who have rescued a cat.

I believe that those on rural properties will not have to confine their cats into small spaces as in backyards.

Hopefully, free cats will be able to go on with their important job of rodent and rabbit reduction.

Best wishes to all cat lovers who have saved, or are planning to rescue a cat.

Alice Shore 

No confinement

September 2018

M. Hicks is not correct that cat confinement would solve the problems.

Cat confinement may prevent some cats from coming on his property but they will be replaced by new cats because he does not have a cat of his own to hold his territory.

Cats on his aviary are far more likely to be coming for the mice, and possibly rats, that are feeding on his canaries’ spilt seed than being interested in the birds themselves.

Caged birds attract rodents and without cats to control them we would have even bigger problems with rats and mice.

Poison baits are now known as environmental hazards and cats are the safer option for rodent control.

New cats would also continue to use his vegetable garden for a toilet so it is imperative that his neighbours provide freshly dug earth and leaves, or an outside (undercover) litter box for their cats at home.

They also need to make sure that their cats are desexed to prevent tomcat spraying.

In addition, cats are only one predator. Birds of Prey kill more birds than cats do, stealing fledglings and eggs from nests and attacking birds in flight. They also kill and eat many native mammals and lizards. Does M. Hicks plan to confine all these predators as well as the cats?

Christine  Pierson

Cat containment

September 2018

Following on from the letter “Cat bylaw I have additional information for readers.

I am a former member of Norwood Payneham and St Peters Council which has concentrated on mass desexing and return of cats to their homes, to be well fed and managed, for 30 years. No cat confinement or cat bylaws were required.

Success of the partnership between this Council and C.A.T.S. Cats Assistance To Sterilise Inc has been so successful that Council’s Animal Management Plan 2018-2023 requires no cat confinement or bylaws due to the low number of complaints.

If NP&SP Council can do this why can’t Marion Council?

I note from the Marion Council minutes of 28 August that the cat confinement bylaw is nowhere near being passed; only that a draft bylaw be presented next January. The motion for this was not noted as being carried unanimously either, which means that not all current councils support this approach.

Given that this draft bylaw will not go to Council until January, this means that new councillors may, and probably will, vote against it.

Ratepayers and residents who will be badly affected, both financially and emotionally due to stress over threats to their beloved cats, should be very careful for whom they vote at the council elections in November.

Christine Pierson

President, C.A.T.S. Cats Assistance To Sterilise Inc

Cat bylaw

September 2018

I bet that the residents of Marion Council would wish that they have the 14 elected members of Onkaparinga Council when their rates rise and their hard-earned dollars are used to pay for the ill-conceived cat confinement bylaw.

This bylaw is going to cost them plenty, and Onkaparinga Council have just defeated theirs 14 votes to three.

No doubt the anti-cat people think that it will be the cat owners who will be paying for it, but no, all council constituents pay for bylaws.

Don’t completely lose heart, though, as the next round of council elections will soon be here, and you can vote for new councillors and ask for a rescission motion.

Cat confinement bylaws are old news. Only the last of the councils that haven’t done the research would even consider them. Nearly all other South Australian councils had already been through this debate, and abandoned the idea as being useless.

G. Hannah

Marijka Ryan

September 2018

I read with delight that Councillor Marijka Ryan is to stand for Mayor of Campbelltown Council “Mayoral gloves come off.”

What a wonderful successor to retiring Mayor Simon Brewer who has also been such a kind and considerate leader for all, humans and animals.

We need Mayors who are sensitive to the community, considerate to their constituents.

Who show respect to colleagues and are firm with those in the council who do not show concern for all creatures great and small.

With Marijka Ryan we have all we could ask for, and I wish her every success at the coming elections, as she has proved her commitment to not only the humans in her Council but all the animals as well.

Christine Pierson

President, Cats Assistance To Sterilise

Cat laws

September 2018

MARION Council is making a serious mistake if it considers that cat confinement is going to save native wildlife.

In my capacity as an animal supporter involved in numerous animal welfare organisations, through research and detailed studies, I consider my information to be valid.

Confining owned cats, which are generally desexed and well fed, and removing resident cats, many of which are also desexed and well fed, creates a vacuum and an imbalance.

This imbalance results in an explosion of rodents, and subsequently an influx of new cats, generally un-desexed, which breed to excessive numbers.

This imbalance causes a critical situation for native species, as the constant flow of new cats into the vacuum created is far more likely to result in danger to native fauna.

If councils are really serious about protecting native wildlife, they should be concentrating on desexing, to maintain a stable environment of resident well-fed, desexed, patrolling cats.

In addition to the fact that these cats prevent un-desexed intruder cats from encroaching upon their territory, they also control the rats and mice and deter snakes.

The hundreds of thousands of dollars to introduce and attempt to manage a costly cat confinement bylaw would be far better spent on assisting residents with desexing.

Elected members should research the success of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters Council, which has successfully reduced its cat-related numbers and problems, stating that it does not require cat confinement.

This council has concentrated on mass subsidised desexing for 30 years.

Christine Pierson, President, Cats Assistance to Sterilize

Cat Voice

August 2028

I write in response to last week's letter to the Editor from Christean Vint, titled "Cat control," asking why cat lovers are given a voice in the Courier.

I consider it was only fair to give readers an opportunity to oppose the heavily biased anti-cat letters, that we also published and to thank the newspaper for doing this.

All the articles were unacceptably one-sided with almost all given predominant input from the anti-cat brigade in the Hills.

Obviously  the cat owning  and cat supporting residents in the area couldn't make their case heard as they knew they would be targetted by cat haters. 

This is not fair but is happening everywhere and is why the surveys always come out in favour of anti-cat respondents who have nothing to lose. I am very pleased to see that those writers have the scientific knowledge to illustrate the pitfalls of demonizing cats, can be heard through these pages.

G. Hannah

Don’t blame cats

August 2018

In response to “Natural predators” ask the question “Why would we want cats to “suppress their predatory instincts”?

Does Mr Laznicka ever research what happens when cats are taken out of the ecosystem?

This has been tried and has caused disaster because the other introduced animals such as rats,  mice, rabbits and introduced birds have bred to massive numbers and have proved a far greater threat to native wildlife than ever the cats have.

Cats are now part of the Australian ecosystem.

Furthermore, making unsubstantiated statements based on opinions cannot be taken seriously.

There is no scientific evidence to prove that cats have been responsible for any Australian native extinctions, so where does Mr Laznicka get his information? From emotional hearsay?

In 3O years of extensive research and detailed studies I have never seen a cat ever attack a magpie. Indeed it would be an unfortunate cat that did.

The writer then asks the question “What have we done to Australia?”

I can answer that. We have bulldozed the lizards and ground dwellers, felled the trees with fledglings in their nests, taken away the homes of the birds and the possums, covered the grass with brick paving, polluted the environment with poisons and encouraged infill on every spare piece of real estate.

And not one cat has been responsible for any of this.

The demise of the native birds and fauna in West Lakes is due to human infiltration and development, not cats, so let’s deal in facts and not fiction.

Christine Pierson

President, C.A.T.S. Cats Assistance To Sterilise Inc

Pointless bylaw

August 2018

We are two respondents who replied to calls from the Adelaide Hills Council for information re a cat confinement bylaw.

Apparently we were ignored according to the article in “The Courier” August 1 “Cat confinement will be Hills law in 2022”

One has to question the ability of these councillors who have chosen to follow a path that almost all other councils in SA have avoided as being impractical, unenforceable and costly to all their ratepayers.

Indeed, hardly any of the 68 SA councils have taken on this pointless cat bylaw and all who have done the research realise it would be a huge mistake: increasing problems not solving them.

There is nothing new about cat confinement bylaws. They have been discussed by a long list of councils over many years and all discarded because they could see that they could not work.

Residents of the affected council area do have an option to change this mistake before they suffer from rate increases and impossible restrictions: council elections will be open very shortly and a new council can move for a Rescission Motion to reverse this unwise council decision.

Please remember to vote and get the representation you really want - all the current council members have imposed this unworkable and expensive bylaw upon its people.

Barbara Stoneman and Helen Wright
Co-Chairs, Cat Supporters Group of SA

Don’t confine

August 2018

If Mr Paul McInerney wants to stop “pesky pets”  from using his front garden for a toilet and leaving muddy paw prints, he will not achieve this by cat confinement to owners’ properties.

If his neighbours’ cats are confined, then new cats will simply fill the vacuum created, and he will have a recurrence of the same problem.

If the writer is serious about reducing this annoyance, he needs to do three things.

1. Make sure that his neighbours provide cat “toilets” at their own home with freshly-dug earth and clean leaves, or an outside undercover litter tray. (We wouldn’t build a house without a toilet, so why would we have a cat and not provide an outside toilet for the cat?)

2. Make sure that the cats in the area are all desexed to encourage them to stay home, and at least not spray or fight over mates or breed unwanted kittens.

3. Letterbox the area with leaflets politely asking people to do these things.

 Christine Pierson

Festival Centre into darkness

July 2018

A rat has plunged the Adelaide Festival Centre into darkness after chewing through an electrical cable. This is just a small sample of what is to come if pet cats are confined and free-living cats are removed and killed.

Cats are the best and safest rat controllers known to man and without them working behind the scenes, protecting us from rat plagues, we would be overrun with rodents.

Scientific studies prove that these are the facts and ill-informed politicians and councillors who are trying to undermine the balance between these species are leading us to disaster. (as they frequently do)

Knee-jerk reactions to distribute rat baits threaten our whole environment especially the native wildlife, but all animals, (and children) are at risk.

Already we have seen articles Messenger articles of birds being killed with rat bait, children threatened and pets dying after this ridiculous “good cats play at home” propaganda.

Good cats protect us from all kinds of dangers but they can’t do this while they are confined or being persecuted and killed.

Letters “Not working” and “Cat Insight” show that cat confinement is not working, either here or interstate.

The human species is a danger to itself when it meddles with nature. Think again!

Christine Pierson President, Cats Assistance To Sterilise

Cat curfew

July 2018

Ii is a costly mistake if “Cat curfew wins a tick” (Hills Valley Weekly Messenger, July 18). This cat confinement bylaw will achieve nothing regarding cat controls, and indeed, nothing has changed in the 20 years since it was discussed by Mitcham Council.

There is no scientific evidence to support it, and most councils have already discarded cat confinement as being pointless. It would just be another failure, like the counterproductive cat registration bylaw that Mitcham forced on its residents. After all these years, well under a third of the estimated cats in Mitcham are registered, and the income does not cover the costs, so ratepayers pay the deficit.

Compared with the other necessities that the council should be providing but aren’t, then I say let us get the priorities right.

Maybe rates should be capped if councillors are going to waste hard-earned dollars on such folly. There needs to be someone to put this in the right perspective.

Thank goodness we have a sound voice in Cr Nathan Prior, who said that “the council should explore other methods of controlling cats before introducing a bylaw”. Indeed, we should explore the one other method that does work, and that is humanely desexing every cat that can be caught and returning it to hold its territory, where it is fed and cared for, to keep out new un-desexed cats and prevent breeding.

This method is the only one that has proved to be successful, and is being used by several councils with excellent results. My council is one of them. Check the Animal Management Plan for Norwood, Payneham and St Peters Council, which clearly states that the council “does not have a significant problem with cats”.

G Hannah

Election time

July 2018

Goodness me. Council elections must be coming up. The members of Local Government are out seeking publicity.

And what better way than to pick on the poor much maligned moggies?

Just mention a cat law in the council chamber and you are sure to score the next edition of the Messenger and maybe even The Advertiser.

It happens just before every council election.

One councillor at Marion even got himself on Channel 9 News, but what a gaffe.

He promoted killing cats if they escaped the curfew.

The silent majority of cat owners and supporters vote anonymously, and they far outweigh the vocal minority of cat haters, so wishing beloved pets dead is not the way to win votes.

I note (a councillor in the south has) asked for a report on the “pros and cons” of a bylaw for cat prisons.

It will, however, cost ratepayers’ hard earned dollars, as time is money and researching bylaws usually involves consultant’s and lawyer’s fees and, as we all know, these don’t come cheap. We pay dearly for them in our rates.

G Hannah

Cat Laws

July 2018

There needs to be a response to “Control cats” as perceptions and assumptions are not fact.

Firstly, seeing dead birds in the open, including shrikes, is almost certainly the result of attacks by other birds.

The Adelaide Museum has confirmed that people are mistaking bird attacks on other birds as attacks from cats.

Secondly, evidence shows that birds, including shrikes, fly away as danger approaches and generally it is only the weak and sick that the cats catch..

Keeping bird baths out of reach of cats is also recommended.

Lastly, the shrike is an aggressive bird and a killer and eats small mammals, lizards, frogs, birds’ eggs and the young, comparable with the contents found in the stomach of cats, in the so called studies of cat predation.

I am not criticising animals and birds for what they do, that is not their fault. I am putting the whole picture into perspective.

If we are going to confine cats then we should also be confining all Birds of Prey, but obviously I don’t recommend either. It would be a better idea to confine all the human duck hunters who massacre and wound native birds during the “open season” and imprison politicians and councillors who promote bird culls.

Human beings know better but many still kill animals.

G. Hannah

Cat debate

July 2018

The comments by most Marion councillors in the article “Keeping cats under control” showed a huge lack of understanding regarding successful cat management.

In fact, the only sensible comment was by Cr Jason Veliskou, who stated that cat registration “would simply add an extra level of bureaucracy”, which is correct.

Ratepayers, generally, have no idea that these cat bylaws cost them plenty.

Introducing and administering a cat bylaw by a council costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, after paying for consultants’ fees, lawyers’ fees and extra staff time to research and put together the reports, plus cat police trying to enforce unenforceable tasks, and not including the risk of litigation by cat owners who have had their cats injured in trapping cages.

Residents are already struggling to pay the ever-increasing rates.

The council should run a survey to ask constituents’ preferences between a few nuisances from a cat or paying higher rates. That would put this issue into perspective.

Curfews and advocating the killing of cats is not going to save native wildlife.

Creating a vacuum by removing cats simply results in new cats, usually un-desexed, which breed to restore numbers.

During the void created, rat and mice populations explode, causing rodent plagues.

In addition, this imbalance creates a dangerous situation for the native fauna.

The knee-jerk reaction of distributing rat baits endangers everything: the native fauna, pets, and all creatures including children and the environment - a no-win situation. Cats are a much safer means of rodent control.

Before councillors make decisions on issues that affect the lives of their constituents, they should do the necessary research, and not make counterproductive statements that undermine successful cat management.

 Christine Pierson

Cat laws

July 2018

A young cat was rescued after being zipped up in a sports bag and left at a small park on Atkell Avenue in Campbelltown.

The RSPCA has labelled the dumping as “cruel, deeply concerning and unnecessary." Anyone who witnessed this illegal behaviour needs to contact the RSPCA.

Dumping a cat and causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal is against the law, and penalties for this crime incur fines of up to $50,000 or four years in jail.

At the council elections later this year, let us remember to vote for councillors who show compassion to all of their constituents, human and animal.

Christine Pierson

Cats Assistance to Sterilise

Great Faith

June 2018

In his letter Philip Miller shows great faith in the proposed cat confinement laws.

It is not the introduced cat that is responsible for loss of our wildlife but the introduced European with  his love of land clearing, tree destruction, development and unsustainable living.

Moreover, aren't all species created from "dust" equally if one takes notice of the Holy Scriptures?

Rodents and snakes will flourish.

Alice Shore

Cat law opposition

June 2018

Well, here we go again. Council elections are due this year, so no doubt Cr Tidd thinks that getting his name in the papers by calling for a cat law (“Claws are out at council over cats”, is going to get him votes. How wrong can he be!

Cr Leombruno is also wrong. The vocal minority of cat haters will be out in force when there is an anonymous survey on cats; it is standard practice. However, when they are required to give their names and addresses, this minority decreases rapidly.

During the debate over cat cages to be hired out to catch and kill cats, not one letter in the NorthEastern Weekly Messenger supported cages, and yet the letters against hiring the cages ran for over two months every week.

Cr Ryan was correct when she said that “Cr Tidd is hellbent on eliminating cats” and that it was a “very poor solution” to a problem that did not exist.

Resident Sue Willis is also correct when she says that Cr Tidd’s idea “may not be truly representative of the rate-paying population and community attitudes." I wonder if the ratepayers are aware that these surveys and cat bylaws are not cheap. I am a former Norwood, Payneham and St Peters councillor, and believe me, the ratepayers pay for this. Cr Tidd is not likely to win votes if he causes an increase in the council rates.

 Christine Pierson. President, Cats Assistance To Sterilise

Serious message  

June 2018

Although I got a chuckle out of the cartoon in the with the 2 cats chatting about the ridiculous idea of having them permanently confined, there is a serious side to this argument.

What the government plans under the Threat Abatement Plan for Feral Cats is to shut up all owned cats so they can kill the rest; (please read this plan which has been kept pretty quiet)

One of the main ways of trying to eradicate the cats depends on 1080; a poison so dangerous to all living things that it has been banned in most overseas countries including the USA.

Apart from the scientifically proved fact that cats cannot be eradicated in open Australia because of the vacuum effect, this massacre destabilises the balance between the animals and ensures overpopulation of introduced species including rodents and rabbits; this is not desirable for native fauna.

After the rats, mice and rabbits over- breed, new undesexed cats infiltrate and breed excessive numbers of kittens, similar to the baby boom after the second World War. During the imbalance, however, as well as the native animals, we humans will also be plagued with rats and mice which create an influx of snakes; mice being snakes favourite food.

Baiting is an environmental disaster and endangers everything, pets, native fauna, all animals, the environment and us.

In actual fact, the cats on the fence in the cartoon have more brains than the politicians who planned this confinement and massive slaughter, and much of it is against advice from scientists.

Christine Pierson

President, C.A.T.S. Cats Assistance To Sterilise Inc

Respect animal equality

June 2018

In response to Phil Miller's letter (May 16th) against "cat lovers", I would like to point out that as one such person who loves cats, whenever any of Adelaide councils plan a bird cull, because residents are irritated by their numbers, I – and my cat loving friends - are on the forefront of the protest, often being the ones to launch the anti cull campaign. That is because we respect animal equality.

The real problem is that this equality does not exist in the minds of all so called animal lovers and “favouritism” is what leads to this debate. If this favouritism were in human terms we would call it “Racism” and our community no longer tolerates this. In the world of animal advocacy it is known as "Specieism" We should all take a long hard look at our attitudes and make sure that we are not standing up for an animal AT THE EXPENCE OF ANOTHER as this is not a noble thing. It ignores the suffering of the vilified animal and there is no end to the suffering of cats at human hands, confinement being merely one of the persecutions we level at these creatures.

Further, It is easy to throw words such as “ignorance’ around when on the losing side of an argument - insults seem to be the last desperate line of attack. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones, but take a closer look at their own morality.

Lisa Roberts

Concerned about poisons

June 2018

I was surprised and pleased to receive snail mail from people who read our letter “Cat laws” in (Messenger Community News 9 May) and were concerned about the poisons being spread by the Port Adelaide Enfield Council to control so called “pests”.

One stated “I agree it is environmentally better with your approach than laying baits all around the place”. (Using desexed, fed and managed cats to control rodents)

And “It is worse still that they, through their contractors, poison mosquitos, wasps and bees with pyrethrum. It is a contact insecticide; the cats touch it, groom themselves, ingest the poison which affects their nervous system, then they die”.

I consider that this information is vital to readers as I also have information that pyrethrum is poisonous to cats. In fact an article in the Sunday Mail 25/6/2017 states that “Exelpet Fleaban contains pyrethrum” and the owners had “made the decision to pull the products from shelves on Friday after the Sunday Mail made enquiries”; after cats died.

Fish eat mosquitos and bees can be rehomed to pollinate our food crops and, as I have stressed, cats should be protected as they control the rats and mice.

Let us stop persecuting our animals and poisoning our earth any further or we won’t have a living planet at all.

Christine Pierson, President, C.A.T.S. Cats Assistance To Sterilise Inc

The Courier 2 May 2018 published

Missed the point

May 2018

Allan Clifford appears to have missed the point in “Animal Welfare”, The Courier April 25. C.A.T.S. stands for Cats Assistance To Sterilise so the aims of our organisation are to humanely reduce cat numbers through prevention of breeding.

C.A.T.S. has already met its goal and continues to meet it through its low priced desexing scheme. The previous desexing of well over 100,000 cats has already prevented millions of unwanted kittens.

While the so called anti-cat brigade does nothing constructive and just promotes or engages in killing, C.A.T.S. has been actually doing something positive. Killing does not reduce cat numbers as new cats simply fill the vacuum. Desex and return to home has, however, proved to reduce cat numbers to the minimum required to hold the territory and control the rodents; also introduced species.

Unlike Mr Clifford, who contributes to animal death by eating them, we of the C.A.T.S. committee are vegetarians and all-round animal supporters. Yes, cats do need meat but we encourage carers not to buy kangaroo, because it involves a particularly high level of cruelty and suffering. We also oppose buying dry cat food which is detrimental to cats.

But, as cats are carnivorous animals, they don’t have a choice as we do. Humans are much healthier on a plant based diet and don’t need to kill for our food.

Duck hunting cannot be justified, even if it were for food, as the cruelty rate of wounded birds outweighs even those killed and, like kangaroo hunting, splits family groups and leaves the young without parents.

All killing involves cruelty but at least humans don’t have to engage in it as we should know better.

Christine Pierson

President – C.A.T.S. Cats Assistance To Sterilise Inc

The case for cats

May 2018

ALTHOUGH everyone is entitled to an opinion, it is more interesting and constructive when writers research chosen subjects before putting pen to paper and sending.

I refer to “Control your cats.” There is no evidence to support the ill-conceived perception that bells on cats assist birds or wildlife. Studies have been conducted for years, and it has been proved that bells are pointless.

Cat bells don’t help wildlife because when cats stalk prey, they don’t ring the bell. Bells are detrimental to the safety of cats, so they should never be used. Ringing bells make it easy for dogs and other predators to locate the wearer.

The cat’s acute hearing of approaching danger, such as cars, is also restricted by bells. Bells also require a collar, which is another danger, and many cats have paid the price with serious injuries and death from these devices.

Regarding cat registration, this has been discussed by numerous councils for decades, and only about half a dozen of all of the South Australian councils have introduced this failed bylaw.

Indeed, the RSPCA states that “although some councils have introduced mandatory registration, there are no reports of its successful implementation”.

Lastly, confining neighbours’ cats will not result in a cat-free zone, as new cats will simply fill the vacuum.

The answer to the cat droppings on the lawn is to educate all neighbours with cats to provide freshly turned earth and leaves or covered litter trays as cat “toilets”.

Cat owners must provide outside toilets for their cats as this is one of the main complaints that councils receive about cats, so please do the right thing.

Christine Pierson, President, Cats Assistance To Sterilise

Wary of cat changes

Reading “Council readies for cat fight” CoastCIty28/3/2018, much research is required.

The idea that controlling cats is going to save wildlife is flawed. Confining cats so that these natural rodent hunters cannot do their job of controlling mice and rats, causes a severe imbalance.

One such imbalance is the massive rise of snake numbers. Any competent farmer will tell you that snakes love to eat rodents, particularly mice, and so the more mice the more snakes.

Humans have a very bad habit of trying to interfere with nature and when they do, disasters result.

Using baits to kill rodents is not only a cruel and unethical method of trying to reduce rodent numbers but baiting is an environmental danger as there are no safe poisons. Native wildlife is killed by baits, either directly from eating the baits or from eating the baited mice. Baits are therefore far more dangerous than any cats and also pollute the environment.Much better to have cats patrolling than six food brown snakes slithering from the conservation parks or venomous baby browns squeezing through the gaps under the doors.

When cats were eradicated inside the fenced Warrawong Sanctuary the relevant Council was alarmed about the explosion of snakes. And when they trapped the cats around the Salisbury wetlands there were so many snakes that Council had to close the reserve and employ snake catchers.

Cats have protected us through the ages so leave them to do their job and it may save your life, the life of your pet and the wildlife.

Just concentrate on having cats desexed, feeding them well and having stable numbers.

Christine Pierson

President – C.A.T.S. Cats Assistance To Sterilise Inc

Follow the leader

May 2018

Why would Marion Council want to follow the failed cat registration bylaw that Mitcham Council introduced years ago? Less than a third of Mitcham Council’s cats are registered and income doesn’t cover expenses so the ratepayers foot the bill.

Why not follow in the footsteps of Norwood Payneham and St Peters Council.

Reading the Animal Management Plan for this Council it states that “The Council has a partnership with Cats Assistance To Sterilise (C.A.T.S)” and “confinement is not considered to be a major issue throughout the City, as the Council does not experience significant problems with cats.”

This council concentrate on mass desexing of its cats

.Not only does C.A.T.S give free advice based on 30 years experience, they are more than happy to widen out their services to other councils.

Lisa Roberts.

Cat Laws

May 2018

It is distressing to see that cat and rat control in the Port Adelaide/Enfield Council district has reduced to the level that cats are now being poisoned. (“Owners devastated by mysterious cat deaths.”)

What is this Council doing about apprehending these perpetrators or is it their own reckless rat poisoning program that is killing these poor little cats?

The absolute stupidity of a council to distribute rat baits, when the best and safest controllers of rats are free-living desexed cats that are fed and managed, is beyond belief.

Poisoning cats carries a fine of up to $50,000 and a jail term of 4 years and just recently one criminal got 7 months jail for cruelty to dogs.

No poisons are safe and apart from the cruelty of poisoning any animal this is an environmental disaster as the native wildlife are likely to eat either the baits or the baited rodents.

A whole family of tawny frogmouths was wiped out from eating baited mice.

I am very concerned with the attitude of this Council since some of the leading staff changed several years ago and it is time that they stopped persecuting people who care for free-living cats.

C.A.T.S. considers that all cats have equal rights and need to be treated with respect and consideration; not just the cats that are owned and microchipped.

For anyone who needs help with low priced desexing for any cat (owned or one you feed) we are happy to help you. (except pedigree cats or from breeders) Our voluntary organisation has a web site onwww.catassist.org.au

Christine Pierson,

President C.A.T.S. Cats Assistance To Sterilise Inc

C.A.T.S.runs a successful reduced desexing scheme

April 2018

As a cat lover, I read the article about cats by Lyndon Vonow with interest and would like to let readers know C.A.T.S.runs a successful reduced desexing scheme. C.A.T.S. (Cats Assistance to Sterilise) has a website and an Adelaide 'phone number.

I would also like to express my sadness at the expansion of Thomas Foods. For years, the World Health Organisation has been telling us to go vegetarian. If only Thomas Foods would expand into plant-based burgers.

Alice Shore