Cat curfew at night

By Melissa Meehan
YARRA Ranges residents are being reminded to do the right thing and keep their cats inside or in an enclosure overnight.
Healesville’s Moora Moora Wildlife Shelter’s Josiah Klein said it was important for all residents to abide by the cat curfew to ensure “needless deaths” of possums was stopped.
The shire’s cat curfew requires all cat owners to keep their pet inside or in an escape proof enclosure between the hours of 8pm and 6am, or 9pm and 6am during daylight savings time.
Last week, Ms Klein visited the Mail offices, with dead possum in hand, to show the damage that cats are doing to local wildlife.
“This is why people need to bring their cats in at night,” Ms Klein said.
“At any time I would have 40 possums at the shelter, and 90% of ringtail possums come in after cat attacks.”
Ms Klein said it should not be up to shelters or the sanctuary to be responsible for local wildlife.
“It’s also up to locals to make sure they are doing their part,” Ms Klein said.
Yarra Ranges Councillor Samantha Dunn said cats that were allowed to wander at night were often responsible for killing wildlife and were at risk of being injured in fights or by traffic.
“The cat curfew was introduced to help protect native wildlife including possums and birds from being attacked or killed by cats,” Cr Dunn said.
“As well as protecting native wildlife, the cat curfew also helps to prevent unwanted breeding among non-sterilised cats.”
The former Shire of Sherbrooke, now part of the Yarra Ranges was the first municipality in Australia to introduce a cat curfew in 1991.
Since then a number of Victorian and interstate municipalities have introduced similar measures.
For more information about the cat curfew contact Local Laws on 1300 368 333 or visit the Shire’s website www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au and search under the Local Laws section.