Feral, Stray and Pet Cat Management

The introduction of the Cat Management Act in 2009 initiated new efforts to tackle cat problems in Tasmania. In 2016 the Tasmanian Government released its Cat Management Plan and in 2019 it launched the Tasmanian Cat Management Project "TassieCat" and amendments to improve the Cat Management Act started coming into force in March 2021.

It has been estimated that cats kill more than 75 million native animals a year in Australia, including some species threatened with extinction. Cats also can carry diseases which affect sheep, other animals and humans, such as toxoplasmosis which can cause miscarriage and birth defects. As we live in an area abundant in native wildlife and livestock grazing is important to our local economy, we encourage all cat owners to understand their responsibilities as a cat owner. Three things to do are microchip and desex your cat and keep it safe, at home and not roaming.

Use the "TassieCat" website to find out more about how and look out for changes to cat management in Tasmania and opportunities for responsible cat management in the future.