By XAVIER SMERDON
ONLY 3.2 per cent of cats and 10.9 per cent of dogs in Wyndham are registered with the Wyndham Council.
At last week’s Wyndham Council meeting a new strategy that will target the number of stray and unowned cats in the municipality was adopted.
The Council’s Domestic Animal Management Plan for 2013 to 2016 aims to encourage responsible pet ownership.
According to the plan feral cats are becoming a major problem in Wyndham.
“There is emerging evidence of a large increase in unowned cats,” the report said.
“Unowned domestic or feral cats are a nuisance in the community and a risk to owned cats through the spread of disease and injuries from cat fights.”
Only seven per cent of the cats that come through the council’s Municipal Pound each year are fitted with a tag or a microchip and are owned.
Wyndham Mayor, Cr Heather Marcus, said the plan detailed a range of strategies to address the issue of stray and unowned cats.
“We will run a public education plan about feeding stray cats to encourage residents to either assist to remove stray cats, or to arrange to take ownership of the animal,” Cr Marcus said.
“Other measures will include an ongoing cat trapping program in commercial, industrial and environmentally sensitive areas, ‘hot spot’ trapping in some areas and a continued arrangement with local veterinary clinics to provide discounted cat desexing.”
Cr Marcus’ own cats have been injured in fights with feral cats.
“Stray and unowned cats pose a potential disease risk to registered cats in the backyards of homes across Wyndham, so it’s in everybody’s best interests to tackle this issue together as a community,” she said.
“Audits of Wyndham properties will also be undertaken to identify unregistered animals. Owners of unregistered animals are liable for a fine.”
For more information, call the council on 9742 0777 or visit www.wyndham.vic.gov.au
