6 September 2011

Cat curfews for the North

| johnboy
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Simon Corbell has announced cat curfew regulations are being extended to Crace, Coombs, Wright, Lawson and parts of North Watson:

The new cat curfew areas adjoin significant conservation areas that contain critical habitats for several threatened species including lizards, insects and bird species that are susceptible to cat predation.

These include the nationally vulnerable pink-tailed worm lizard and striped legless lizard, the perunga grasshopper which is considered vulnerable within the ACT and the Canberra raspy cricket, which is confined to the Canberra region. Several threatened and declining woodland birds, including the white-winged triller, varied sitella and diamond firetail also feed and nest in neighbouring vegetation.

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so they were introduced to reduce vermin…like cane toads..brilliant

Jim Jones said :

Please everyone stop cat hating. If you took some history lessons and found out how beneficial the domesticated cat (and dog) for that matter have been to human civilisation you wouldn’t be so quick to hate on them

It’s a little known fact that a cat designed the pyramids.

Oddly enough, cats could be said to have made the pyramids possible … in a roundabout way.

The cat is accepted to have been domesticated in Ancient Egypt when wild cats took up residence around grain stores and lived off the vermin that was eating (and often contaminating) one of the most important food resources. Because they provided such an important service protecting food resources, they were worshipped symbollically (as the god and goddess Bas and Bastest). Protecting grain stores also increased the viability of food storage, and therefore making it possible for more labour to be directed away from food production and into other areas, such as – for example – pyramid production.

Which sort of proves the point that they’re efficient killers of wildlife. Beautiful and deadly.

Please everyone stop cat hating. If you took some history lessons and found out how beneficial the domesticated cat (and dog) for that matter have been to human civilisation you wouldn’t be so quick to hate on them

It’s a little known fact that a cat designed the pyramids.

Oddly enough, cats could be said to have made the pyramids possible … in a roundabout way.

The cat is accepted to have been domesticated in Ancient Egypt when wild cats took up residence around grain stores and lived off the vermin that was eating (and often contaminating) one of the most important food resources. Because they provided such an important service protecting food resources, they were worshipped symbollically (as the god and goddess Bas and Bastest). Protecting grain stores also increased the viability of food storage, and therefore making it possible for more labour to be directed away from food production and into other areas, such as – for example – pyramid production.

I’ve owned both cats and dogs for years and I have to agree about the comments being made regarding dogs. This seems to be a contradiction when a lot of dog owners allow their dogs to roam free whilst saying that they’re ‘harmless’… Yet these people have differing opinions about the ferociousness of cats.

I’ve owned (trained) dogs that have been contained in a backyard, but still managed to kill birds, lizards, mice, possums etc so I’m unsure why cats are being targeted. My former neighbour’s dog even mauled and killed a cat by escaping into another person’s yard where their cat, ironically, was contained.

I would be interested in comparing how many dogs kill and seriosuly injure people per year in comparison to cats. Let’s face it – Canberra seems to be a town of cat haters.

Gungahlin Al11:48 am 07 Sep 11

johnboy said :

myna, please everyone, myna birds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myna

That being the feral exotic species the Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis – brown, short tail, with yellow skin bits).

But just to confuse things, the native species is the Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala – grey mottled with yellow skin bits) – also a feral and highly territorial nuisance that breeds far too well in human-modified environments, but not an exotic.

Please everyone stop cat hating. If you took some history lessons and found out how beneficial the domesticated cat (and dog) for that matter have been to human civilisation you wouldn’t be so quick to hate on them

It’s a little known fact that a cat designed the pyramids.

I am pretty sure cats invented the internet. The sheer number of lolcats is surely proof of this.

Also: link

Just to be even more picky, there is a native bird called the Noisy Miner, spelt like that. Not to be confused with the Indian Mynah.

johnboy said :

myna, please everyone, myna birds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myna

i always thought the scourge everyone was talking about was Indian Miners. Thanks for setting me straight

When i first came to Australia I also wondered why ‘Youth in Asia’ was such a big problem issue, until i saw ‘euthanasia’ spelt out in a newspaper one day. Combined with various comments by JW Howard and negative media stories about Cabramatta i just assumed aussies were a particularly Asian-obsessed bunch.

Crace, Coombs, Wright, Lawson and parts of North Watson:

So we can expect an explosion in the population of Indian Minors in these suburbs meaning that parrots and other native birds will have to move elsewhere.

I didn’t know Indian kiddies had a taste for our wildlife. Rosella curry sounds tasty.

(I know it’s already been picked up but I couldn’t resist.)

johnboy said :

Well, dogs are not allowed to roam anywhere.

True but they don’t have the potential to attack and kill a small child.

Please everyone stop cat hating. If you took some history lessons and found out how beneficial the domesticated cat (and dog) for that matter have been to human civilisation you wouldn’t be so quick to hate on them.

myna, please everyone, myna birds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myna

ACT = nanny state

Well, dogs are not allowed to roam anywhere.

so let me get this straight. Cats are getting banned to protect birds, but the government and RSPCA refuse to restrict dangerous dog breeds — which do a lot more damage to our society than cats. I’m yet to see a (domestic) cat maul or kill a person. Apparently to ban dogs would be to impinge on dogowners’ freedom. No one is saying the same thing about cat owners’ or cats’ freedom

Just as it is in cats’ nature to hunt mice and small birds, so it is in the nature of some dog breeds to attack people. Yet for some reason the govt picks on the former, but with dogs is happy to leave people’s lives in the hands of dog owners (many of whom will be irresponsible/absent minded or oblivious to community safety, it’s just human nature)

(PS to clarify, I’m not saying cats should not be housebound, merely pointing out gross inconsistencies in govt policy and arguing that if the same logic were applied to other issues a lot of things would need to be banned. Dangerous dogs – my pet hate – in particular)

KaptnKaos said :

Will Dr Dolittle be visiting to tell these animals that they will not be able to kill during certain times, get a grip FFS, next you won’t be able to drive on the roads because you might hit a bird or an earless legless blind pink snakey looking wormy thing, oh wait hang on, that’s what the greens are pushing for aren’t they, vehicleless roads.

Get a grip, FFS.

KaptnKaos said :

Do the idiots running this show not realise that it’s not the cats which are the problem, it’s us humans, obviously not.
We build – sorry I meant, sustainably redevelop (apologies for the current wank words) – these regions of the town and destroy these populous of native wildlife whether we have cats or not.

+1

Seems strange to restrict cat movements to protect the environment in the very same new suburbs which came to be by virtue of the environment being destroyed. A few rogue cats do a lot less damage to the environment that bulldozing woodland for McMansion suburbia and associated fleets of SUVs and builders’ utes. Talk about double standards. What about the rights of cats? 🙂

Captain RAAF8:02 am 07 Sep 11

dvaey said :

gentoopenguin said :

If there’s a curfew, does that mean we as good citizens can run over any cat found outside after dark?

Maybe. But, if youd read the article (or the comments, or anything more than the headline) youd know its not a curfew, its an outright ban.

Elmosfire said :

I agree ,we are loosing to much of our wildlife.Good moove.

I agree we are losing too much of our wildlife, but as others have pointed out, urban development kills significantly more wildlife (and their entire environment and habitat) than a couple of cats do.

But we have to live somewhere, we don’t have to have cats!

The time is coming where all cats outside of accredited cat runs will be illegal. Any cat seen prowling the streets will be caught, its owner fined or the cat just put down. I give cats 20 years before this happens. I give Pit Bulls 5, just to prove I’m not entirely anti-cat.

My street is now cat-free thanks to my efforts. It’s great to see sometimes half a dozen Rosella’s in my backyard doing what they do and not have to worry about finding a mass of red feathers strewn about the yard in the morning.

gentoopenguin said :

If there’s a curfew, does that mean we as good citizens can run over any cat found outside after dark?

Maybe. But, if youd read the article (or the comments, or anything more than the headline) youd know its not a curfew, its an outright ban.

Elmosfire said :

I agree ,we are loosing to much of our wildlife.Good moove.

I agree we are losing too much of our wildlife, but as others have pointed out, urban development kills significantly more wildlife (and their entire environment and habitat) than a couple of cats do.

My cat gets the s***s If it can’t go out at night to bag a few kangaroos.

I agree ,we are loosing to much of our wildlife.Good moove.

gentoopenguin said :

If there’s a curfew, does that mean we as good citizens can run over any cat found outside after dark?

Or let them play with the Pit Bulls of Tuggers.

Striped legless lizard?- Tiger snake?

gentoopenguin6:59 pm 06 Sep 11

If there’s a curfew, does that mean we as good citizens can run over any cat found outside after dark?

Gungahlin Al2:35 pm 06 Sep 11

While I support cat containment wholeheartedly, and manage our own cat this way even though I don’t have to, I think a retrospective law like this would not hold water legally.

The cat curfew was in place for all of Forde BEFORE anyone bought. Didn’t like the deal, didn’t buy the land. But people have bought in these places and indeed many people already live in Crace.

I think they’re asking for strife with this.

Raging Tempest said :

Hay JazzyJess I had my enclosure done by Custom Cat Enclosures http://www.customcatenclosures.com.au and also thoroughly recommend them

I’d never considered a cat enclosure until I looked at these ones. They are big enough so I wouldn’t feel sorry about limiting the cat’s freedom.

Eirlys said :

I live in Downer, so not quite the area affected, but as I would not be able to “contain” my cat in a yard (yes I know all about runs etc, out of my price range at present), my cat would just have to permanently become an inside cat.

Of course, I do think that cats get the blame solely at their feet, because they are an easy target. For the record, my cat does not go out at night, as that is irresponsible, and I try to be as responsible a cat owner as possible. And I am not saying that cats are blamefree either,

Not sure of the prices or if it’s even feasible but I have seen little low profile rollers that you can put on your fence to keep your cats in. Or keep others out I guess, if you swing that way. Essentially the theory is that the rollers stops the cat from being able to get a grip on the fence and hinders their ability to jump it. Unless you have super low fences or if you have a jumper like an Oriental which are able to leap tall buildings in single bound.

Haven’t seen them in action and can’t comment on the effectiveness but I thought I’d throw it out there. There are also net-like things as well but they tend to stick out more than the rollers. Failing that, a bit of wood and chicken wire would also do the trick!

I live in Downer, so not quite the area affected, but as I would not be able to “contain” my cat in a yard (yes I know all about runs etc, out of my price range at present), my cat would just have to permanently become an inside cat.

Of course, I do think that cats get the blame solely at their feet, because they are an easy target. For the record, my cat does not go out at night, as that is irresponsible, and I try to be as responsible a cat owner as possible. And I am not saying that cats are blamefree either,

Raging Tempest12:08 pm 06 Sep 11

Hay JazzyJess I had my enclosure done by Custom Cat Enclosures http://www.customcatenclosures.com.au and also thoroughly recommend them

KaptnKaos said :

Do the idiots running this show not realise that it’s not the cats which are the problem, it’s us humans, obviously not.
We build – sorry I meant, sustainably redevelop (apologies for the current wank words) – these regions of the town and destroy these populous of native wildlife whether we have cats or not. The human population will continue to grow, people will have pets, be they dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, politicians – us and these pets will continue to destroy the native vegetation, wildlife and ecology of any region we inhabit no matter what curfews are in place.
Will Dr Dolittle be visiting to tell these animals that they will not be able to kill during certain times, get a grip FFS, next you won’t be able to drive on the roads because you might hit a bird or an earless legless blind pink snakey looking wormy thing, oh wait hang on, that’s what the greens are pushing for aren’t they, vehicleless roads.

+1

That is what I call keeping it real brother! Humans are destructive, oh well that is the way it is. But don’t pretend that it is cats doing all the damage.

We are destructive but maybe one day we will be less destructive and more symbiotic. Until then keep on truckin down that road. Otherwise you could end up like one of those mad eastern religious types who freak right out when they step on a butterfly or accidently kill a mosquito when it was stealing their blood.

The curfew doesn’t say anything about Lynxes, so I guess if you want a feline and you live in out of those outter suburbs, get a Lynx.

Many thanks for the leads. I figured I’d get a cat run installed eventually. Xole, I’m in Ngunnawal too and it’s like a cat Jamberoo out here. Every house in my street has at least one cat (says the woman with 3).

Do the idiots running this show not realise that it’s not the cats which are the problem, it’s us humans, obviously not.
We build – sorry I meant, sustainably redevelop (apologies for the current wank words) – these regions of the town and destroy these populous of native wildlife whether we have cats or not. The human population will continue to grow, people will have pets, be they dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, politicians – us and these pets will continue to destroy the native vegetation, wildlife and ecology of any region we inhabit no matter what curfews are in place.
Will Dr Dolittle be visiting to tell these animals that they will not be able to kill during certain times, get a grip FFS, next you won’t be able to drive on the roads because you might hit a bird or an earless legless blind pink snakey looking wormy thing, oh wait hang on, that’s what the greens are pushing for aren’t they, vehicleless roads.

Retrospective denial of amenity? Huh.

Hey Jazzy Jess

you should try http://www.balcourt.com.au – these guys are the canberra stockists and installers for the catnip modular cat parks

JazzyJess said :

Hmmm. My 3 cats will be none too pleased when we move to Crace next year. Anybody know where I can get one of those metal runs from?

We live in Ngunnawal and don’t technically have to keep our cats indoors, but when we got our new kittens we installed a cat park. Our previous cats only brought in a handful of birds, but I suspect there were plenty more they didn’t show off. Our new cats love the cat park – they can come and go as they please, and I don’t have to worry about them getting hit by a car, getting lost down the storm drains, or expensive vet visits after cat fights (all things our previous cats got up to).

Our supplier and installer was Catnip (www.catnip.com.au), and I would not hesitate to recommend them.

JazzyJess said :

Hmmm. My 3 cats will be none too pleased when we move to Crace next year. Anybody know where I can get one of those metal runs from?

Catnip: http://www.catnip.com.au/

We used them for a run for our two cats are were very happy with both their service and the run itself.

Hmmm. My 3 cats will be none too pleased when we move to Crace next year. Anybody know where I can get one of those metal runs from?

junkett said :

Good start, now extend it to the whole of the ACT and make it a 24 hour curfew.

You obviously didn’t read the media release? “are areas in which cats must be contained on the owners properties at all times.” I did not think this was called cat curfew, but “cat containment area”. Didn’t go check the Act for the proper terminology though.

And to me it is important news. I am moving to a Gungahlin suburb next year and I considered adopting our foster kittens myself. But wouldn’t have done so if I would’ve had to keep them inside 24/7. Night curfew I’d have no problem with. Turns out our future suburb does not have any cat restrictions. (But the foster kittens were adopted out anyway.)

The Canberra raspy cricket…Sounds like a cricket who should get off the fags. Or sing blues songs about cats.

Good start, now extend it to the whole of the ACT and make it a 24 hour curfew.

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