Cats have been banned from almost 30 areas of the South Perth city as the local council tightens its leash on domestic felines.

The council passed its Local Cat Law 2024 at an October 22 meeting, which bans cats from 27 areas, including Neil McDougall Park, Manning Bushland, Millers Pool, Sir James Mitchell Park Lakes, the school Curtin Bushland Primary and Collier Park Golf Course.

Under the new law, cats found in these areas will be seized and removed.

Residents will also only be allowed to keep up to three cats.

South Perth staff have failed to follow other councils’ attempts to restrict cat access to all public spaces, which were rejected by the WA Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation.

“The effect of the proposed local law is to encourage responsible cat ownership, whereby a person must not keep more than the number of cats prescribed by local law, and to create no-cat zones,” states a staff report.

The law received 29 responses when it was released for comment.

Most responses support the new law, with many residents urging the city to take “additional steps to increase control of cats and responsibilities placed on cat owners.”

“Cats pose a significant environmental threat, not only because they kill large numbers of native birds and animals, but also because of their ability to transmit deadly diseases to humans,” said one interviewee.

“Existing cat laws are a token effort.

“(The City of South Perth must) introduce significant fines for owners of cats found outside their place of residence, mandatory identification tags… implement a municipal program to educate cat owners, provide assistance to owners with cat problems to manage cats. roaming.

“Please introduce mandatory desexualization of all registered cats within South Perth city limits and actively encourage neighboring councils to do the same.”

Another respondent said the proposed sanctions were “too weak and ineffective.”

“(They) do not represent a significant deterrent, especially considering the havoc cats can wreak on the environment,” they said.

“The maximum number of cats that can be kept on a property should be lowered to two cats without permission.

“Cats should not be allowed to roam without their owner, any cat outside of a property and without a responsible guardian should be destroyed.

“There should be punishment for cats caught destroying native wildlife.”

But city staff said they had “limited powers.”

“It is understood that the Local Cat Law 2024 will not solve all the problems relating to cat behavior in the district; it was, however, developed to meet community expectations in maximizing control of cats, within available statutory powers,” a staff report states.